Thomas Jefferson was chosen to draft the Declaration of Independence due to his skills as a writer and as a Virginian to represent Southern interests. He spent around two weeks in June 1776 writing the draft privately, drawing on his knowledge of natural law from writers like Locke and his own writings. The draft focused on grievances against the King over Parliament and emphasized ideals of liberty, life and the pursuit of happiness. Congress made some edits to soften criticisms before adopting the Declaration on July 4th, 1776, formally separating the colonies from Britain.