Thirteen original British colonies became the United States after the Declaration of Independence.
The colonies stretched along the Atlantic coast of North America, from New Hampshire in the north to Georgia in the south. In 1776, their delegates acted collectively through the Second Continental Congress and declared that the colonies were free and independent states.
The thirteen were not identical in size, economy, or political structure. New England colonies included Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire; the Middle Colonies included New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware; and the Southern Colonies included Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia.
The number 13 remains a central symbol in American national imagery. The U.S. flag has 13 stripes, representing the original colonies, while its stars represent the states in the Union and have changed over time.