The United States Declaration of Independence represented thirteen colonies in 1776.
The colonies were British possessions along the Atlantic coast of North America. They declared that they were becoming free and independent states, ending their political connection with Great Britain. The Second Continental Congress, meeting in Philadelphia, adopted the Declaration on July 4, 1776.
The thirteen colonies were New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. Their names appear in the document’s formal title, which refers to the thirteen united States of America.
The number thirteen is also preserved in later national symbols, including the thirteen stripes on the United States flag and the thirteen arrows held by the eagle on the Great Seal. The colonies did not all have identical economies, religions, or political traditions, but they acted together in Congress during the independence crisis.