The Second Continental Congress passed the Lee Resolution on July 2, 1776, formally declaring the United Colonies independent of Great Britain.
Richard Henry Lee of Virginia introduced the resolution on June 7, 1776, after receiving instructions from the Virginia Convention. Its crucial sentence stated that the colonies were “free and independent States.” Congress debated the proposal while a separate committee worked on a declaration explaining the reasons for independence.
The Declaration of Independence was approved two days later, on July 4, and became the document most closely associated with the break from Britain. This creates a common mix-up: July 2 was the date Congress voted for independence, while July 4 was the date it adopted the Declaration. America250 commemorates both the political decision and the famous public statement that followed.