The original group known as the Thirteen Colonies contained 13 British colonies.
These colonies occupied much of the Atlantic coast of North America and later united in the American Revolution. They were divided traditionally into New England, Middle, and Southern groups. The colonies had separate administrations but shared related political and legal traditions.
The group became complete with the establishment of Georgia in 1732. The colonies were not initially a single country; they were separate British possessions with distinct governments and local interests. Tensions over taxation, representation, and imperial control gradually encouraged cooperation.
In 1774, twelve colonies sent delegates to the First Continental Congress, while Georgia joined the revolutionary congress the following year. The Thirteen Colonies declared independence in 1776 and fought Britain during the Revolutionary War. The number remains central to American symbols, including the thirteen stripes on the national flag.