Who is credited with writing the Declaration of Independence?

The Declaration of Independence is primarily credited to Thomas Jefferson because he was the principal author of the document. In June 1776, the Continental Congress appointed a committee to draft the declaration, and Jefferson, who was a delegate from Virginia, was chosen to write it due to his eloquent writing style and strong philosophical beliefs about individual rights and government.

The document articulates the colonies' reasons for seeking independence from British rule and emphasizes concepts like natural rights and the social contract, which were heavily influenced by Enlightenment thinkers. Once Jefferson completed the draft, it went through revisions by other committee members, including John Adams and Benjamin Franklin, but the foundational ideas and most of the wording remained largely Jefferson's.

Jefferson's role in articulating the colonies' aspirations for freedom and establishing the principles of democracy makes him a pivotal figure in American history, particularly concerning the values embedded in the Declaration of Independence.