Thirteen colonies declared independence in the document commemorated by America's 250th anniversary.
The Declaration of Independence formally described the signatories as representatives of the “thirteen united States of America.” These colonies stretched along the Atlantic seaboard, from New Hampshire in the north to Georgia in the south. Their separate colonial governments became the original states of the new United States.
The thirteen colonies did not all experience the Revolution identically. They had different economies, settlement histories, religious traditions, and relationships with Britain. Nevertheless, their delegates acted together through the Continental Congress during the independence crisis.
The phrase “thirteen colonies” refers to the British colonies that joined the revolutionary movement, not to every British possession in North America. Canada, the Caribbean colonies, and Florida were not among the thirteen represented in the Declaration. The number remains a central symbol in America250 imagery and historical explanations.