The illustration shows the committee of five chosen to draft a declaration of independence from British rule for the 13 American colonies. From left to right, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Philip Livingston and Roger Sherman, submitted their draft to the delegates of the colonies at the Continental Congress 2 on July 1, 1776. Benjamin Franklin, American philosopher, scientist, inventor and diplomat played an important role as one of eight Founding Fathers and was one of the signatories when the draft was approved. Three days later, on the fourth of July, the United States was born.