Congress passed the independence resolution preceding the Declaration honored by America250 on July 2, 1776.
The resolution, introduced by Richard Henry Lee of Virginia, stated that the colonies should be free and independent states. Congress approved it after delegates debated whether to separate from Great Britain and how the colonies should organize their future relations.
Two days later, on July 4, Congress adopted the wording of the Declaration of Independence. The Declaration explained the reasons for the break, while the Lee Resolution supplied the formal decision to become independent.
John Adams believed July 2 would be remembered as the great national anniversary, but July 4 became the celebrated date because it appeared on the Declaration. This distinction is a frequent source of confusion in accounts of the 1776 founding.