The Second Continental Congress adopted the Lee Resolution for American independence on July 2, 1776.
Introduced by Virginia delegate Richard Henry Lee, the resolution declared that the United Colonies should be free and independent states, completely separated from Great Britain. Congress debated the proposal before voting on it, and the resolution supplied the legal and political decision behind independence.
The Declaration of Independence followed two days later, on July 4. That document explained the reasons for separation and presented a public statement of principles and grievances. The close relationship between the two dates is why July 4 became the celebrated national holiday, even though Congress had already voted for independence on July 2.
John Adams famously expected July 2 to become the principal annual celebration, but history developed differently. America250 commemorates the 250th anniversary of the Declaration’s adoption, not merely the earlier independence resolution.