the thirteen colonies
/ðə ˌθɜːtiːn ˈkɒləniz/
/ðə ˌθɜːrtiːn ˈkɑːləniz/
- the original 13 areas controlled by Britain in what is now the eastern US. They joined together to fight the American Revolution and became the first 13 states. The colonies were, from north to south, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia.