Thirteen Thirteen Colonies declared independence in the event commemorated by America250.
The colonies were New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. Together they formed the political community that declared independence from Great Britain in 1776.
The number 13 refers to the colonies that became the original United States, not the 50 states in the modern country. The colonies varied greatly in geography, economy, population, and political organization.
The Declaration initially described them as free and independent states. During the Revolutionary War, they cooperated through the Continental Congress and later operated under the Articles of Confederation before the Constitution created the current federal framework.