Thirteen Colonies

Long, long ago, 13 groups of people lived in new towns along the big Atlantic Ocean. These towns were called colonies, and they belonged to a faraway country called Great Britain. But these colonies were special because they were all in North America, and they eventually decided to become their own country: the United States of America!

They were like a big team that wanted to play their own game.

Some people came to these colonies to find new homes and practice their religion freely, like in places called Jamestown and Maryland. Others came to start businesses and make money. Some of these colonies used to be owned by people from a country called the Netherlands, but Great Britain took them over. It was like trading toys with friends!

In just a few years, from 1625 to 1775, the number of people living in these colonies grew super fast! It went from only 2,000 people to a whopping 2.4 million! That's more people than can fit in a giant stadium. They also met Native American people who already lived there. Sadly, some people were forced to work without pay, which wasn't fair.

These 13 colonies were pretty good at working together. They had their own rules and even voted for leaders, which the King of Great Britain didn't always like. When Great Britain started asking for more money and control, the colonies got upset. They decided to join forces and fight for their freedom, which led to the American Revolution!