The Lee Resolution declared the American colonies independent from Great Britain on July 2, 1776.
Introduced by Virginia delegate Richard Henry Lee, the resolution stated that the United Colonies were free and independent states and no longer owed allegiance to the British Crown. The Second Continental Congress approved it after debate and a vote.
Two days later, Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence, the document that explained the reasons for the break. This distinction matters: July 2 was the legal-political independence vote, while July 4 became the celebrated date because it marked approval of the Declaration’s final text.
John Adams believed July 2 would become the great national anniversary. Instead, July 4 became the public holiday associated with independence, and America250 follows that better-known date while commemorating the broader events of 1776.