The Thirteen Colonies formed the United States at independence. These British colonies along the Atlantic coast declared themselves independent in 1776 and became the founding states of the new nation.
The traditional groupings were four New England colonies, four Middle Colonies, and five Southern Colonies. The New England group included New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware made up the Middle Colonies.
The Southern Colonies were Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. They were separately administered, but shared political and legal institutions and increasingly coordinated resistance to British policies during the eighteenth century.
The phrase “Thirteen Colonies” refers specifically to the colonies that rebelled and declared independence, not every British possession in North America. British America also included territories such as Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, and the Floridas. The number 13 remains central to America250 symbolism and appears in early U.S. flags and seals.