What was the name of the 1776 resolution declaring the American colonies independent?

The Lee Resolution was the 1776 resolution declaring that the American colonies were independent.

Richard Henry Lee of Virginia introduced the resolution in the Second Continental Congress on June 7, 1776. It stated that the United Colonies should be free and independent states, that their political connection with Great Britain should end, and that a plan for a confederation should be prepared.

Congress debated the proposal before adopting its independence portion on July 2, 1776. Two days later, Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence, which explained and publicly justified the decision. The resolution and the declaration therefore performed different jobs: the resolution made the political decision, while the declaration presented the reasoning and grievances.

The Lee Resolution is named for Richard Henry Lee, not for Robert E. Lee, who lived in the nineteenth century. It is also distinct from the Olive Branch Petition, a 1775 appeal to King George III that sought reconciliation rather than immediate independence.