13 colonies

Illustration of Pilgrims in Church. Picture provided by Classroom Clipart (http://classroomclipart.com)
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Illustration of Pilgrims in Church. Picture provided by Classroom Clipart (http://classroomclipart.com)
 purportedly sewed the first  with 13 stars and 13 stripes representing each of the 13 colonies.
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Betsy Ross purportedly sewed the first American flag with 13 stars and 13 stripes representing each of the 13 colonies.

The Thirteen Colonies were 13 British colonies in North America, separately chartered and governed, that signed the Declaration of Independence in 1776 and formally broke with the Kingdom of Great Britain, leading to the American Revolutionary War and the establishment of the United States of America.

Other British North American possessions—the former French colony of Quebec and the colonies of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island—remained loyal to the British Crown and much later were united as Canada. The colonies of East Florida and West Florida also remained loyal during the American Revolution.

Contents

The Thirteen Colonies

Contemporaneous documents almost always listed the colonies in geographical order, roughly from north to south, as follows (the division into three regions is a later construct of historians):

*Vermont was an independent country from 1777 until it became the 14th state in 1791. Today it is considered part of New England.

Other British colonies in North America and the Caribbean in 1776

Britain held several other colonies in North America and the Caribbean in 1776 which did not join the 13 in their American Revolution against the Crown.

Future Canadian provinces

In 1775, the  claimed authority over both the red and pink areas on this map and  ruled the orange west of the .  The red area is the area of the 13 colonies after the Proclamation of 1763. (Map produced by U.S. Dept. of Interior.)
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In 1775, the British claimed authority over both the red and pink areas on this map and Spain ruled the orange west of the Mississippi river. The red area is the area of the 13 colonies after the Proclamation of 1763. (Map produced by U.S. Dept. of Interior.)

Future American states

Future independent countries

Future British overseas territories

Other

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