The Second Continental Congress approved the Lee Resolution on July 2, 1776, two days before approving the Declaration of Independence.
Richard Henry Lee of Virginia introduced the resolution in Congress after receiving instructions from the Virginia Convention. Its key independence clause declared that the United Colonies were free and independent states and no longer subject to the British Crown.
The resolution originally addressed three related matters: independence, foreign alliances, and a plan of confederation. Congress considered these parts separately. The independence portion passed on July 2 after weeks of debate and efforts to secure broader colonial support.
The Declaration of Independence followed on July 4. It explained the reasons for separation and presented the political case to the public, while the Lee Resolution was the congressional action that formally asserted independence. The resolution is named for Richard Henry Lee, not for a state or a later constitutional document.