Thirteen colonies were represented in the United States Declaration of Independence.
The document formally declared that the thirteen British colonies in North America were free and independent states. They were New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia.
The number thirteen appears in the document's original formal title: “The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America.” The colonies did not all vote identically at the first independence decision. Twelve colonial delegations voted in favor on July 4, 1776, while New York abstained because its delegates lacked authorization at that moment.
The Declaration became the central reference point for later Independence Day anniversaries, including the 2026 America250 observance. The thirteen-colony framework is also reflected in the original thirteen stripes of the United States flag, although the flag's design has changed as new states joined the Union.