The thirteen British colonies that declared independence in 1776 are usually taught in three groups. The New England colonies were New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut. The Middle colonies were New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware. The Southern colonies were Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia.
Colonial borders were not the same as today's. Maine was part of Massachusetts until it became a state in 1820, Vermont was never one of the thirteen, and Virginia's land once included what is now West Virginia and Kentucky. This quiz uses modern borders so the shapes match the map you'll see in a textbook.
Remembering the thirteen
- Georgia was the last colony founded, in 1732, and is the southernmost of the thirteen.
- Delaware and Rhode Island are the two smallest, and easy to miss on a small screen; turn on Zoom.
- Learn the three groups from north to south: New England, Middle, Southern.
The 13 colonies as modern states in this quiz
| State | Capital | Region |
|---|---|---|
| Connecticut | Hartford | Northeast |
| Delaware | Dover | South |
| Georgia | Atlanta | South |
| Maryland | Annapolis | South |
| Massachusetts | Boston | Northeast |
| New Hampshire | Concord | Northeast |
| New Jersey | Trenton | Northeast |
| New York | Albany | Northeast |
| North Carolina | Raleigh | South |
| Pennsylvania | Harrisburg | Northeast |
| Rhode Island | Providence | Northeast |
| South Carolina | Columbia | South |
| Virginia | Richmond | South |
Questions people ask
Was Maine one of the 13 colonies?
Not separately. Maine was part of Massachusetts during the colonial period and became its own state in 1820.
Was Vermont one of the 13 colonies?
No. The area was claimed by New York and New Hampshire; Vermont joined the Union in 1791 as the 14th state.