The resolution Congress passed on July 2, 1776, was the Lee Resolution.
Also called the Resolution for Independence, it formally declared that the Thirteen Colonies were free and independent states, separate from the British Empire. Richard Henry Lee of Virginia introduced it after receiving instructions from the Virginia Convention.
The Second Continental Congress approved the independence portion after weeks of debate and political negotiation. New York’s delegates initially abstained because they lacked instructions, while Delaware’s vote was resolved when Caesar Rodney arrived. The resolution passed with the support of 12 colonies.
The Lee Resolution and the Declaration of Independence were related but different documents. The resolution made the formal decision to separate; the Declaration, approved on July 4, explained the reasons and principles behind that decision. The familiar national celebration uses July 4, although the legal vote for independence occurred two days earlier.