Congress approved the Lee Resolution on July 2, 1776, two days before adopting the Declaration of Independence.
Introduced by Virginia delegate Richard Henry Lee, the resolution stated that the United Colonies should be free and independent states. Its approval was the formal congressional decision to pursue independence from Great Britain.
The Declaration of Independence followed as an explanation and public statement of that decision. Congress debated the document’s language from July 2 through July 4, eventually adopting it on July 4. This sequence explains why July 2 is historically important even though Independence Day is celebrated on July 4.
The resolution was part of the political process that transformed the colonies’ resistance into a declaration of national independence. America250 commemorates the broader 1776 independence story, including both the congressional resolution and the declaration that communicated its meaning.