Thirteen colonies became the original states of the United States. They were the British colonies along the Atlantic coast that declared independence in 1776 and formed the first Union.
The colonies were New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. Their economies, populations, geography, and political institutions differed substantially, but they cooperated during the Revolutionary War and in creating a new national government.
The phrase “Thirteen Colonies” refers specifically to the colonies that rebelled against Great Britain and later became states. It does not include every British colony in North America. East and West Florida, Quebec, Nova Scotia, and other British possessions followed different political paths.
The number thirteen also appears in early national symbols, including the stripes on the first United States flag and the stars representing the states. Vermont joined the Union in 1791 as the fourteenth state, after the original thirteen had been established.