Thirteen British colonies joined together to form the United States after declaring independence.
The Thirteen Colonies occupied Britain’s Atlantic coastal colonies in North America. They were grouped traditionally into New England, Middle, and Southern colonies. Their names were New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia.
These colonies were not initially governed as a single country. They had separate colonial administrations, but shared political disputes with Britain and increasingly coordinated resistance through continental congresses. In 1776, they declared independence and became the original states of the United States.
The number is sometimes confused with the twelve colonies that sent delegates to the First Continental Congress in 1774; Georgia joined that body’s representation later. It is also distinct from the number of states in the United States today. The phrase “thirteen colonies” refers specifically to the British colonies that became the founding states.