The Second Continental Congress approved the Lee Resolution declaring the colonies independent on July 2, 1776.
Richard Henry Lee of Virginia proposed the resolution, formally called the Resolution for Independence. It stated that the United Colonies were free and independent states and no longer owed allegiance to the British Crown. Congress approved the independence section after weeks of debate and negotiation among the colonies.
July 2 is often overshadowed by July 4, the date Congress approved the Declaration of Independence. The two actions were related but not identical: the Lee Resolution was the formal political decision to separate from Britain, while the Declaration explained the reasons for independence and presented them publicly.
John Adams famously predicted that July 2 would become the most memorable date in American history. Instead, July 4 became the date celebrated as Independence Day because it marked approval of the Declaration’s final text. America250 commemorates the broader founding process, including both milestones.