Which body passed the Lee Resolution that declared the American colonies independent in 1776?

The Second Continental Congress passed the Lee Resolution declaring the American colonies independent in 1776.

The resolution was introduced by Virginia delegate Richard Henry Lee and approved on July 2, 1776. It stated that the United Colonies were free and independent states and no longer politically connected to Great Britain. This vote was the formal decision for independence.

The same Congress then debated and edited the Declaration of Independence, which explained why separation was justified. The Declaration was adopted on July 4, two days after the Lee Resolution. That difference is why John Adams believed July 2 would become the principal independence celebration, although July 4 ultimately became the national holiday.

The Second Continental Congress also directed the Revolutionary War effort, authorized the Continental Army, appointed George Washington as commander, and managed diplomacy and finance. It operated during the transition from colonial resistance to an independent United States.