Thirteen original states are represented in the founding history commemorated by America250.
The Thirteen Colonies were British colonies on the Atlantic coast of North America that declared independence in 1776 and later formed the United States. They were New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia.
The colonies differed in geography, economy, religion, and political traditions. New England colonies had strong maritime and commercial economies, while the middle and southern colonies included major farming regions and port cities. Despite those differences, representatives worked together in the Continental Congress during the crisis with Britain.
The number thirteen appears in several symbols associated with the founding era, including the original thirteen stripes on the U.S. flag and the thirteen arrows and stars on the Great Seal. The colonies should not be confused with the 50 states that make up the modern United States. America250 looks back to the independence era, when the country began with thirteen states.