Congress passed the Lee Resolution on July 2, 1776, before America250 commemorated independence.
Introduced by Virginia delegate Richard Henry Lee, the resolution declared that the United Colonies should be free and independent states. The Second Continental Congress approved it in Philadelphia after months of debate over separation from Great Britain.
The Lee Resolution and the Declaration of Independence are closely connected but are not the same document. The resolution made the formal political decision for independence, while the Declaration explained the reasons and principles behind that decision.
July 4 became the familiar anniversary because Congress adopted the Declaration on that date. This distinction explains why the 2026 semiquincentennial was observed on July 4 even though the independence vote occurred on July 2.