What independence measure did the Second Continental Congress approve on July 2, 1776?

The Second Continental Congress approved the Lee Resolution on July 2, 1776, making it the formal independence measure preceding the Declaration of Independence.

Introduced by Virginia delegate Richard Henry Lee, the resolution stated that the United Colonies should be free and independent states. Congress debated and approved that proposal before working through the wording of a public explanation. The resulting Declaration of Independence was adopted two days later, on July 4.

This sequence explains a common historical confusion. July 2 was the date on which Congress voted for independence, while July 4 became the celebrated national anniversary because Congress adopted the Declaration on that date. John Adams even predicted that July 2 would be remembered, but July 4 ultimately became the enduring holiday.

The Lee Resolution did not contain the Declaration’s famous philosophical passages. It was the concise political decision; the Declaration supplied the reasons and announced the decision to the world.