<P> Political maneuvering was setting the stage for an official declaration of independence even while a document was being written to explain the decision . On June 11 , 1776 , Congress appointed a `` Committee of Five '' to draft a declaration , consisting of John Adams of Massachusetts , Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania , Thomas Jefferson of Virginia , Robert R. Livingston of New York , and Roger Sherman of Connecticut . The committee left no minutes , so there is some uncertainty about how the drafting process proceeded ; contradictory accounts were written many years later by Jefferson and Adams , too many years to be regarded as entirely reliable -- although their accounts are frequently cited . What is certain is that the committee discussed the general outline which the document should follow and decided that Jefferson would write the first draft . The committee in general , and Jefferson in particular , thought that Adams should write the document , but Adams persuaded the committee to choose Jefferson and promised to consult with him personally . Considering Congress 's busy schedule , Jefferson probably had limited time for writing over the next seventeen days , and likely wrote the draft quickly . He then consulted the others and made some changes , and then produced another copy incorporating these alterations . The committee presented this copy to the Congress on June 28 , 1776 . The title of the document was `` A Declaration by the Representatives of the United States of America , in General Congress assembled . '' </P>
<P> Political maneuvering was setting the stage for an official declaration of independence even while a document was being written to explain the decision . On June 11 , 1776 , Congress appointed a `` Committee of Five '' to draft a declaration , consisting of John Adams of Massachusetts , Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania , Thomas Jefferson of Virginia , Robert R. Livingston of New York , and Roger Sherman of Connecticut . The committee left no minutes , so there is some uncertainty about how the drafting process proceeded ; contradictory accounts were written many years later by Jefferson and Adams , too many years to be regarded as entirely reliable -- although their accounts are frequently cited . What is certain is that the committee discussed the general outline which the document should follow and decided that Jefferson would write the first draft . The committee in general , and Jefferson in particular , thought that Adams should write the document , but Adams persuaded the committee to choose Jefferson and promised to consult with him personally . Considering Congress 's busy schedule , Jefferson probably had limited time for writing over the next seventeen days , and likely wrote the draft quickly . He then consulted the others and made some changes , and then produced another copy incorporating these alterations . The committee presented this copy to the Congress on June 28 , 1776 . The title of the document was `` A Declaration by the Representatives of the United States of America , in General Congress assembled . '' </P>
who were the creators of the declaration of independence
who were the creators of the declaration of independence
John Adams Benjamin Franklin Thomas Jefferson Robert R. Livingston Roger Sherman
John Adams Benjamin Franklin Thomas Jefferson Robert R. Livingston Roger Sherman