What formal resolution declared the Thirteen Colonies independent on July 2, 1776?

The Lee Resolution formally declared the Thirteen Colonies independent on July 2, 1776.

Also called the Resolution for Independence, it was proposed by Richard Henry Lee of Virginia and passed by the Second Continental Congress. Its language stated that the colonies were free and independent states, separate from the British Empire.

The resolution was broader than a single declaration. It also called for foreign alliances and a plan of confederation. Congress considered those parts separately while the independence question received the immediate attention of delegates.

July 2 is therefore the legal independence vote, while July 4 is the date associated with adoption of the Declaration of Independence, which explained the reasons for separation. John Adams predicted that July 2 would become the great anniversary, but public tradition instead centered on July 4.