What resolution declared American independence on July 2, 1776?

The resolution that declared American independence on July 2, 1776, was the Lee Resolution. Proposed by Virginia delegate Richard Henry Lee, it stated that the Thirteen Colonies were “free and independent States” and no longer owed allegiance to the British Crown.

The Second Continental Congress received Lee’s proposal on June 7, 1776, but delayed the vote while several colonies sought authorization for independence. Congress approved the independence portion on July 2, with New York abstaining because its delegates had not yet received instructions. The remaining portions, concerning foreign alliances and a plan of confederation, were handled separately.

The Lee Resolution is often confused with the Declaration of Independence. The resolution was the formal decision to separate from Britain; the Declaration, approved on July 4, explained the reasons and announced that decision to the world. John Adams even predicted that July 2 would become America’s great annual holiday, but July 4 ultimately became Independence Day.