Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson, a delegate from Virginia, wrote most of the Declaration of Independence. He was assisted by Benjamin Franklin and John Adams. While writing, he borrowed ideas from local "declarations of independence" and used John Locke's theory that governments were formed to protect the rights of life, liberty, and property.
As the states moved towards complete religious freedom, Jefferson also wrote the Statute of Religious Liberty which was enacted in 1786. This document called for the complete separation of church and state.