Founding1776
Committee of Five Appointed to Draft Declaration of Independence
The Continental Congress appointed the Committee of Five — Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, and Robert R. Livingston — to draft a formal declaration of independence. Jefferson was selected by the committee to compose the initial draft.
Why It Matters
The appointment of this committee transformed the abstract idea of independence into a written document that would articulate the philosophical foundations of American self-governance for all time.