What resolution did Congress adopt on July 2, 1776, before approving the Declaration?

The Second Continental Congress adopted the Lee Resolution on July 2, 1776, before approving the Declaration of Independence.

Introduced by Virginia delegate Richard Henry Lee, the resolution declared that the United Colonies should be free and independent states. It formally addressed the question of independence from Great Britain.

Congress approved the resolution two days before adopting the Declaration on July 4. The Declaration did not itself initiate the vote for independence; it explained and justified the decision Congress had already made.

This sequence creates a common America250 mix-up. July 2 was the legal and political independence decision, while July 4 became the date associated with the written declaration and the national holiday. John Adams predicted July 2 would be celebrated, but history favored July 4.