Who Wrote the Declaration of Independence? Civics Question 78

The answer is Thomas Jefferson.

Question 78 asks who wrote the Declaration of Independence. Say “Thomas Jefferson,” or just “Jefferson.” Both are accepted. This is a starred question, so it can also appear on the shorter test for applicants who are 65 or older.

How Jefferson Got the Job

The Continental Congress chose a small committee to write a statement explaining why the colonies were breaking from Britain. Benjamin Franklin and John Adams were on it, and so was Jefferson, who was 33 years old.

The committee handed the writing to Jefferson. He drafted the document, the committee made changes, and Congress made more before adopting it.

The line most Americans can quote comes from that draft: all men are created equal, with rights that no government may take away. Jefferson later served as the third President of the United States.

Why the Officer Asks This

The Declaration is one of the country’s founding documents, and this question checks that you can attach it to the right person. It comes as a set with question 79, which asks when the Declaration was adopted, and question 76, which asks about the war being fought at the time.

How to Remember Thomas Jefferson

Jefferson wrote it, and his name is written across the country because of it. Jefferson City is the capital of Missouri. The Jefferson Memorial stands in Washington, D.C. His face is on the nickel and on Mount Rushmore.

Link the two words together and say them as one: Jefferson, Declaration.

Names People Mix Up With His

George Washington is the most common wrong answer. In July 1776 he was commanding the army in the field, not writing in Philadelphia.

Benjamin Franklin is the second. He sat on the committee and reviewed the draft, and he did not write it.

Abraham Lincoln is the third. He was born in 1809, more than thirty years after the Declaration was adopted.

What to Say on Test Day

Say “Thomas Jefferson.” Two words, then stop.

You do not need the committee, the year, or the famous line. The officer is listening for one name.