How many states made up the original United States in 1776?

Thirteen states made up the original United States in 1776.

The thirteen colonies that declared independence from Great Britain were New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. After independence, they became the original states.

The phrase “thirteen colonies” refers to the British colonies before independence, while “thirteen states” describes their status in the new republic. The number appears in early national symbols, including the thirteen stripes on the United States flag and the thirteen arrows and stars on the Great Seal.

Vermont joined the Union as the fourteenth state in 1791. Kentucky and Tennessee followed in 1792 and 1796, respectively, beginning the country’s expansion beyond the original Atlantic states.