The Committee of Five was a group appointed by the Second Continental Congress in June 1776 to draft what would become the Declaration of Independence. Its members were Thomas Jefferson (Virginia), the principal author of the draft, John Adams (Massachusetts), Benjamin Franklin (Pennsylvania), Roger Sherman (Connecticut), Robert R. Livingston (New York). The committee operated from June 11 to July 5, 1776, during which Jefferson wrote the initial draft, with edits and input from the others. The final document was presented to Congress and adopted on July 4, 1776, marking a pivotal moment in the founding of the United States.