Each of the thirteen colonies then adopted its own state constitution and became a self-governing state within the newly independent United States of America. The Articles of Confederation, ratified in 1781, established a loose alliance of the states, but it soon became evident that a stronger central government was needed.
The thirteen original states are:
1. Delaware
2. Pennsylvania
3. New Jersey
4. Georgia
5. Connecticut
6. Massachusetts
7. Maryland
8. South Carolina
9. New Hampshire
10. Virginia
11. New York
12. North Carolina
13. Rhode Island
These states formed the core of the United States and played a vital role in shaping the country's early political, economic, and cultural development.