The Second Continental Congress adopted the Lee Resolution on July 2, 1776.
Introduced by Virginia delegate Richard Henry Lee, the resolution stated that the United Colonies should be free and independent states, released from allegiance to the British Crown, and politically separate from Great Britain. Congress approved it before approving the longer Declaration of Independence.
July 4 became the celebrated date because Congress approved the Declaration’s explanatory text on that day. The Declaration gave reasons for independence and listed grievances, while the Lee Resolution supplied the essential decision to sever political ties.
John Adams believed July 2 would become the great American anniversary. Instead, public memory attached the national holiday to July 4, the date connected with the Declaration’s final approval and publication.