The original United States consisted of 13 states after independence.
The thirteen were the former British colonies along the Atlantic seaboard: New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. Together they declared independence in 1776 and formed the first United States.
These states did not all have identical colonial histories. Pennsylvania, for example, was founded as a proprietary colony associated with William Penn, while Georgia was established later than several northern colonies. Their political interests also differed sharply during the Constitutional Convention, especially over representation, taxation, and the balance between state and federal power.
The number 13 appears in several national symbols. The U.S. flag has 13 stripes representing the original states, and the Great Seal’s eagle holds 13 arrows and an olive branch with 13 leaves. Vermont became the 14th state in 1791, followed by Kentucky in the same year.
The phrase “Thirteen Colonies” refers to the colonies before independence; after independence, they were states in the new republic.