Congress passed the Lee Resolution on July 2, 1776, before approving the Declaration of Independence.
The resolution formally stated that the Thirteen Colonies were “free and independent States” and no longer part of the British Empire. It was proposed by Richard Henry Lee of Virginia, giving it its familiar name.
After adopting the resolution, Congress turned to a separate document explaining the reasons for independence. That document became the Declaration of Independence, whose final text Congress approved on July 4.
John Adams later predicted that July 2 would be remembered as the great anniversary of American independence. Instead, July 4 became the national holiday because it was the date associated with the Declaration’s approval and public presentation.