The Declaration of Independence was not solely the creation of Thomas Jefferson, but rather the result of a collaborative effort by a committee of five, appointed by the Continental Congress. The committee, which also included Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Roger Sherman, and Robert Livingston, was formed on June 11, 1776. Jefferson was tasked with drafting the document, and he worked on it for several weeks, consulting with other committee members and incorporating their suggestions. The final draft of the Declaration was presented to the Continental Congress on June 28, 1776, and was adopted on July 4, 1776. Therefore, it took approximately 3 weeks for Thomas Jefferson to draft the Declaration of Independence, though it was a collective effort and several revisions were made before its adoption.