The Second Continental Congress adopted the Lee Resolution on July 2, 1776, before the Declaration remembered by America250.
Introduced by Virginia delegate Richard Henry Lee, the resolution stated that the United Colonies should be free and independent states. Congress approved that independence proposal on July 2, creating the formal political decision to separate from Great Britain.
The Declaration of Independence followed as the public explanation for that decision. Congress debated and revised the document over the next several days, then adopted the final text on July 4. This is why July 2 and July 4 have different places in the independence story.
The resolution is sometimes confused with the Declaration itself, but they were separate measures. The Lee Resolution made the decision for independence; the Declaration explained the reasons and announced that decision to the world. July 4 became the national holiday because of the Declaration’s date and public importance.