Which resolution formally declared the Thirteen Colonies independent from Great Britain?

The Lee Resolution formally declared the Thirteen Colonies independent from Great Britain.

Introduced by Virginia delegate Richard Henry Lee, the resolution stated that the colonies were free and independent states and no longer owed allegiance to the British Crown. The Second Continental Congress adopted it on July 2, 1776, in Philadelphia. That vote preceded the adoption of the Declaration of Independence two days later.

The Declaration is more famous because it explained the reasons for separation and presented them to the world. It did not, however, constitute the first congressional vote for independence. The Lee Resolution supplied that legal and political decision, while the Declaration served as its public justification.

The distinction matters for America250: July 2 marks the independence vote, while July 4 marks adoption of the Declaration and remains the date celebrated as Independence Day. Richard Henry Lee later signed the Declaration as a delegate from Virginia.