Thirteen colonies formed the original United States, the founding group commemorated by America250.
These British colonies stretched along the Atlantic coast from New Hampshire to Georgia. They developed separate governments and economies but increasingly cooperated when disputes with Britain intensified. In 1776, they declared independence and eventually became the first states of the United States.
The colonies were New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. A common mix-up is counting Vermont, which declared independence separately and was not one of the original Thirteen Colonies. Maine was also not a separate colony; it was part of Massachusetts before becoming a state in 1820. America250’s central historical story begins with these thirteen colonies’ move from British rule to independence.