The Declaration of Independence represented thirteen original colonies in 1776.
These colonies were British possessions along the Atlantic coast of North America that declared themselves independent states. Their delegates acted through the Second Continental Congress when the Declaration was adopted on July 4, 1776.
The thirteen colonies are remembered in the United States flag’s original symbolism and in many America250 educational programs. They were not identical in population, economy, geography, or political structure, but they joined the revolutionary movement against British rule.
The number is sometimes confused with the thirteen stripes on the modern flag, which also honor the original colonies, or with the later number of states in the Union. The United States began with thirteen states, but the country eventually expanded to fifty states.