Congress passed the Lee Resolution on July 2, 1776, the decisive independence step behind America250. The resolution declared that the Thirteen Colonies were, and should be, free and independent states.
Virginia delegate Richard Henry Lee introduced the proposal on June 7, 1776. It stated that the colonies should sever their political connection with Great Britain, establish a confederation, and seek foreign alliances. Congress postponed the vote while delegates consulted their colonial governments and worked on a formal explanation.
The resolution and the Declaration of Independence are related but distinct. The Lee Resolution was the legal-political decision to declare independence; the Declaration supplied the public reasons and principles supporting that decision. Congress adopted the Declaration on July 4, two days later.
Because July 4 became the date printed on the Declaration and the date celebrated nationally, July 2 is often overlooked. Historically, however, July 2 was the day Congress formally voted for independence, while July 4 marked adoption of the explanatory document.