Before there was a Declaration, there was the Lee Resolution.
On June 7, 1776, Virginia delegate Richard Henry Lee rose in the Continental Congress and proposed a bold idea: that “these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States.” His resolution—backed by Virginia’s earlier May 15 directive—set the stage for the Declaration of Independence nearly a month later.
Congress didn’t vote immediately. Instead, debate ensued, and a committee—led by Thomas Jefferson—was appointed to draft a formal declaration while delegates awaited final instructions from their colonies. After weeks of deliberation and political maneuvering, Lee’s resolution was formally adopted on July 2, 1776. John Adams would later write that July 2 “will be celebrated…as the great anniversary festival.”
Today, part of that legacy rests quietly in Christ Church Episcopal Cemetery in Alexandria.
In one family plot lie Sarah Caldwell “Sally” Lee Lee, daughter of Richard Henry Lee; her husband, Edmond Jennings Lee, a prominent Alexandria attorney; and Francis Lightfoot Lee II, Sally’s brother and Richard Henry Lee’s son. He was named for their uncle Francis Lightfoot Lee, who—along with Richard Henry—signed the Declaration of Independence. The two remain the only brothers in American history to have done so.
While other members of the extended Lee family are buried in separate plots within Christ Church Cemetery, this trio shares a single corner of ground—an enduring testament to a family whose influence shaped both the nation and their hometown.