The Lee Resolution formally asserted American independence on July 2, 1776, a key event behind America250.
The Second Continental Congress approved the independence section of the resolution on July 2. It declared that the Thirteen Colonies were free and independent states and no longer politically connected to Great Britain. The resolution was proposed by Richard Henry Lee of Virginia, whose name it carries.
July 2 is often overshadowed by July 4, because Congress approved the Declaration of Independence two days later. The Declaration explained the reasons for separation and became the document associated with Independence Day, while the Lee Resolution was the formal congressional decision to declare independence.
John Adams believed July 2 would become the great anniversary festival, but public tradition ultimately centered on July 4. America250 therefore commemorates a broader sequence of 1776 events, including both the resolution and the Declaration.