Thirteen colonies were represented when the Declaration celebrated by America250 was adopted.
The Thirteen Colonies were Britain’s colonies along the Atlantic coast of North America that joined in declaring independence in 1776. They stretched from New Hampshire in the north to Georgia in the south. The colonies became the first states of the United States after the Revolution.
The Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. Its formal title referred to the “thirteen United States of America,” emphasizing that the colonies were claiming status as independent states rather than remaining British colonies.
The number 13 also appears in later American symbols, including the 13 stripes on the national flag and the 13 arrows and olive-leaf elements associated with the Great Seal. The colonies were not identical in population, economy, or political structure, but they joined in the independence movement and were represented in the Continental Congress.