Thirteen colonies formed the original political union commemorated by the United States during America250.
The Thirteen Colonies were British colonies along the Atlantic coast of North America. They were New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia.
Representatives from these colonies participated in the Continental Congress during the American Revolution. The Declaration of Independence announced that the colonies regarded themselves as free and independent states, and the first national government operated with the same original group.
The number 13 remains prominent in American symbols. The United States flag’s original design used 13 stars and 13 stripes to represent the colonies. The Great Seal also includes 13 arrows, 13 stars, and 13 leaves on the olive branch. Later states joined the Union, but the founding-era commemoration focuses on the original thirteen.