What resolution did Congress pass on July 2, 1776, before the Declaration of Independence?

Congress passed the Lee Resolution on July 2, 1776, before the Declaration of Independence.

Introduced by Virginia delegate Richard Henry Lee, the resolution stated that the United Colonies should be free and independent states. The Second Continental Congress approved it after months of debate over whether the colonies should break from Great Britain. Its passage is why July 2 is sometimes described by historians as the legal or political independence date.

The Declaration of Independence followed as a public explanation of that decision. Thomas Jefferson drafted most of the text with assistance and review from the Committee of Five, and Congress adopted the final Declaration on July 4. The document explained the reasons for separation rather than serving as the initial vote for independence.

The Lee Resolution is therefore closely connected to America250 but is not the same thing as the Declaration. July 4 remains the national anniversary date because the Declaration was approved and announced then, while July 2 marks the congressional independence vote.