Thirteen British colonies joined to form the United States celebrated by America250.
These colonies occupied the Atlantic seaboard and were organized into New England, Middle, and Southern groups. They were New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia.
The colonies did not begin as a single country. Each had its own institutions and local government, but disputes over taxation, representation, and imperial control encouraged cooperation. Their delegates eventually worked through the Continental Congress and declared independence in 1776.
The number thirteen is also represented in early national symbols, including the thirteen stripes of the U.S. flag and the thirteen stars of the original flag design. The colonies became states through independence and the postwar political settlement, rather than all receiving statehood at once.