The Second Continental Congress passed the Lee Resolution for independence on July 2, 1776, before America250’s July 4 observance.
Introduced by Virginia delegate Richard Henry Lee, the resolution stated that the united colonies should be free and independent states. Congress approved that motion on July 2, creating the formal political decision to separate from Great Britain.
Congress then debated and revised the Declaration of Independence, which provided a public explanation for the decision. That document was adopted on July 4, the date later used for Independence Day and the central date of the 2026 semiquincentennial.
The two dates are therefore related but not identical. July 2 marks the independence resolution; July 4 marks adoption of the Declaration’s final text.