Congress approved the Lee Resolution on July 2, 1776, the independence vote behind the America250 commemoration.
Virginia delegate Richard Henry Lee introduced the resolution on June 7, 1776. It proposed that the United Colonies should be free and independent states, that political ties with Great Britain should be dissolved, and that a plan for foreign alliances and a confederation should be prepared.
After debate, Congress approved the independence portion on July 2. John Adams believed that date would become the great national anniversary, but Congress spent the next two days editing the Declaration of Independence. The Declaration was adopted on July 4, so that date became the celebrated holiday.
The two dates describe different steps in the same process. July 2 was the formal vote for independence; July 4 was the adoption of the explanatory declaration. The distinction is frequently overlooked because Independence Day celebrations use July 4.