Congress approved the Lee Resolution declaring the colonies independent on July 2, 1776, before adopting the Declaration of Independence on July 4. The resolution was introduced by Virginia delegate Richard Henry Lee.
The July 2 vote was the Continental Congress’s formal decision to separate from Great Britain. Congress then turned to a written explanation, debating and editing the Declaration before approving it on July 4. America250 commemorates the later document’s 250th anniversary, but the independence decision came first.
July 2 is sometimes called America’s real independence day in historical discussions, while July 4 became the traditional national holiday because it is the date printed on the Declaration. The two dates mark related but distinct congressional actions.