Who introduced the resolution for American independence in 1776?

Richard Henry Lee introduced the resolution for American independence in 1776.

Lee, a Virginia delegate to the Second Continental Congress, presented the motion on June 7, 1776. It stated that the colonies should be free and independent states, that political ties with Great Britain should end, and that a confederation should be formed.

Congress did not immediately adopt the resolution. It postponed the final decision while a Committee of Five prepared a formal declaration explaining the reasons for independence. That process led to the Declaration of Independence, adopted on July 4.

Lee came from a prominent Virginia political family and later served as president of the Continental Congress. His resolution and Jefferson’s declaration were related but different: Lee proposed the legal and political break, while the Declaration publicly justified it.