Thirteen British colonies joined together to form the original United States.
The Thirteen Colonies stretched along Britain’s Atlantic coast in North America. They were New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. Their economies, religious traditions, and local governments differed considerably.
The colonies were not originally created as one unified country. Each had its own charter or governing arrangement, and their inhabitants often identified strongly with their individual colony. Cooperation increased as disputes with Britain intensified, especially after Parliament imposed taxes and regulations that many colonists opposed.
Georgia was the last of the thirteen colonies to be established, in 1732. During the Revolution, the colonies formed a continental political movement and eventually declared independence. The phrase “Thirteen Colonies” became especially common in the context of the Revolution, although British America also included other colonies and territories outside this group.