After Richard Henry Lee motioned to legally separate the Bri…
After Richard Henry Lee motioned to legally separate the British American colonies from England on June 7, 1776, members voted to create , led by John Adams. Other members included Roger Sherman, Robert Livingstone, Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson. Although every member was expected to contribute, Adams was initially appointed to write the majority of the work. He instead turned over the majority of the project to Thomas Jefferson, as he believed he had a more elegant writing style.