The Second Continental Congress passed the Lee Resolution for 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, ending their political connection with Great Britain. It supplied the legal and political decision behind the later Declaration.
Congress approved the resolution two days before adopting the Declaration of Independence. The Declaration was a public explanation of the decision, listing grievances against King George III and presenting principles that justified the break.
John Adams considered July 2 the date that future generations would celebrate, but July 4 became the enduring holiday because it appears on the adopted Declaration. This distinction explains why the independence vote and the national anniversary fall on different dates.