Thirteen British colonies were represented by the Declaration of Independence celebrated through America250.
The colonies stretched along the Atlantic coast of North America, from New Hampshire in the north to Georgia in the south. They were not identical in size, economy, religion, or political culture, but all became part of the revolutionary movement that declared independence from Great Britain.
The declaration's formal title referred to “the thirteen united States of America.” The colonies became states in the document's political language, even though the Revolutionary War continued after July 1776. Their union was initially loose and operated under the Articles of Confederation before the Constitution created the present federal system.
A common confusion concerns the vote on July 4. Twelve colonial delegations voted for adoption, while New York abstained because it lacked instructions from its provincial government. New York later supported independence and was represented among the signers.