Thirteen colonies became the states represented in the Declaration of Independence celebrated by America250. The document’s title refers to the “thirteen united States of America,” reflecting the political union that declared independence in 1776.
Those colonies were New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. They occupied the eastern seaboard of North America and had been British colonies before the American Revolution.
The thirteen colonies are not the same as the fifty states in the modern United States. The national anniversary looks back to the smaller revolutionary union, before later territorial expansion and the admission of new states. The thirteen-star flag and other patriotic symbols used during commemorations often refer specifically to this founding group.