The Second Continental Congress approved the Lee Resolution on July 2, 1776.
Introduced by Virginia delegate Richard Henry Lee, the resolution declared that the United Colonies were free and independent states, severed political ties with Great Britain, and proposed a confederation and foreign alliances. Congress adopted its independence clause after debate and voting among the colonies’ delegations.
The Declaration of Independence followed as a public explanation of that decision. Congress approved the Declaration’s final text on July 4, which is why Independence Day is celebrated on that date rather than July 2. John Adams, who supported the resolution, predicted that July 2 would become the great annual anniversary.
The distinction between July 2 and July 4 is a common source of confusion. July 2 marked the formal independence vote; July 4 marked approval of the Declaration’s wording and its public presentation as the nation’s founding statement.