Thirteen colonies formed the original United States celebrated by America250.
The Thirteen Colonies were British colonies along the Atlantic coast of North America that declared independence in 1776 and became the first states of the United States. They stretched from New Hampshire in the north to Georgia in the south. Their names remain familiar through modern states, although their colonial boundaries were not identical to today’s borders.
The number 13 appears repeatedly in early United States symbols. The first national flag adopted in 1777 had 13 stars and 13 stripes, representing the original states. The Great Seal also includes 13 arrows, 13 stars, and 13 leaves in prominent arrangements.
The thirteen states did not all enter the Union at the same time under the Constitution. Delaware was the first to ratify it in 1787, while Rhode Island was the last of the original thirteen to ratify, in 1790.