The July 2, 1776 resolution that preceded the Declaration of Independence was the Lee Resolution.
Introduced by Virginia delegate Richard Henry Lee, the resolution declared that the American colonies should be free and independent states. The Second Continental Congress adopted it on July 2, two days before approving the wording of the Declaration of Independence.
The Declaration explained and justified the decision in a formal public document, but the Lee Resolution was the congressional act that directly authorized independence. John Adams considered July 2 the true anniversary because it marked the legal decision, although July 4 became the celebrated date because it marked adoption of the Declaration's final text.
This distinction matters for America250: the 2026 observance is commonly described as the 250th anniversary of the Declaration, while the decisive independence vote occurred on July 2, 1776. The two milestones are closely connected but not identical.