Thirteen British colonies united to form the United States during the American Revolution.
The colonies stretched along the Atlantic coast of North America and were grouped traditionally as New England, Middle, and Southern colonies. Their representatives eventually cooperated through the Continental Congress and coordinated resistance to British rule.
The thirteen were New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. Georgia was the last of the thirteen colonies to be established, in 1732.
The number is represented symbolically in the original national flag’s thirteen stripes and thirteen stars. It is also why early American seals, emblems, and official designs frequently used the number thirteen. The thirteen colonies should not be confused with every British colony in North America; places such as Nova Scotia and Newfoundland were not part of this group.