The Second Continental Congress passed the Lee Resolution for independence on July 2, 1776.
Proposed by Virginia delegate Richard Henry Lee, the resolution declared that the Thirteen Colonies were “free and independent States” and no longer politically connected to Great Britain. Congress had postponed the vote after Lee introduced the proposal on June 7, while several colonial delegations sought authorization to support independence.
July 2 is often overshadowed by July 4. Congress approved the Declaration of Independence, which explained and announced the break, on July 4. The later date became the United States’ annual Independence Day, while July 2 marked the formal congressional decision to separate from Britain. The Declaration was primarily drafted by Thomas Jefferson and incorporated the substance of the Lee Resolution.
John Adams famously predicted that July 2 would become the great anniversary festival. In practice, public celebrations settled on July 4 because that was the date attached to the approved Declaration of Independence.