The Lee Resolution formally declared the American colonies independent in 1776, a milestone remembered by America250.
Richard Henry Lee of Virginia introduced the resolution in the Second Continental Congress on June 7, 1776. Its central statement declared that the United Colonies were, and should be, free and independent states. Congress debated the proposal before voting for independence on July 2.
The resolution was separate from the Declaration of Independence. A Committee of Five, including Thomas Jefferson, later drafted the Declaration to explain the reasons for separation and present them publicly. Congress adopted the Declaration on July 4, which is why Independence Day is celebrated on that date.
The Lee Resolution therefore marks the formal political decision for independence, while the Declaration supplied the best-known written justification. John Adams believed July 2 would be remembered, but July 4 became the lasting national anniversary. America250 connects both events to the broader story of 1776.