Thirteen Colonies

The Thirteen Colonies were originally part of British America which was ruled by Great Britain and its king, King George III. After being required to pay taxes which the colonists believed to be illegal, they staged a series of protests demanding change (e.g., “No taxation without representation.” When their demands for change were met with acts of aggression, the colonies united militarily against Great Britain, resulting in the American Revolutionary War. In 1776, the Thirteen Colonies formally declared their independence from Great Britain by signing the Declaration of Independence and forming a new nation, the United States of America. The war finally ended in 1783 with the Treaty of Paris which recognized the independence and sovereignty of the United States