Thirteen original colonies are represented by the Declaration of Independence celebrated in America250.
The colonies had been British possessions along the Atlantic coast of North America. During the Revolutionary War, the Second Continental Congress acted on behalf of these colonies and presented their collective case for separation from Great Britain.
The declaration's formal title refers to the thirteen United States of America. The thirteen were New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia.
The number thirteen also appears in later national symbols. The U.S. flag has thirteen stripes representing the original colonies, while its stars represent the states in the Union. The thirteen colonies should not be confused with the 50 states that make up the modern United States.