How many original colonies declared independence?

Thirteen original colonies declared independence from Great Britain and formed the basis of the United States.

These colonies stretched along the Atlantic coast and were traditionally grouped as 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, while Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia formed the Southern group.

The colonies did not all begin as one unified political unit. Each had its own government and charter, but they increasingly cooperated during disputes with Parliament and the Crown. The Continental Congress became their shared political forum during the Revolutionary crisis.

On July 4, 1776, Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence on behalf of the thirteen colonies, describing them as independent states. The number is sometimes confused with later U.S. states or with other British colonies, such as Nova Scotia and Newfoundland, which did not join the American rebellion.