Thirteen British colonies formed the original United States in the American Revolution.
These colonies stretched along the Atlantic coast of North America. They were New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia.
The colonies were not one unified country before independence. Each had its own government and local political traditions, although they shared economic, cultural, and legal connections with Britain. Disputes over taxation and representation helped bring them together during the 1760s and 1770s.
The term “Thirteen Colonies” refers specifically to the colonies that declared independence and became the original states. It should not be confused with every British colony in North America, since Britain also controlled places such as Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, and territories in the Caribbean. Georgia, founded in 1732, was the last of the thirteen colonies established.