The American colonies existed from the early 17th century until the late 18th century, when they declared independence and became the United States of America. The first permanent English settlement in North America was founded at Jamestown, Virginia, in 1607, and the last of the Thirteen Colonies was established at Georgia in 1732. The colonies were under British rule until 1776, when they declared their independence and began the American Revolutionary War. The war lasted until 1783, and in 1787 the Constitution of the United States was adopted, creating the federal government of the United States.