13 Colonies Map Quiz at a Glance
The 13 colonies were New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia: the British colonies on the east coast of North America that declared independence in 1776 and became the first 13 states. This free quiz shows them on a map, then asks you to find each colony, its capital and its founder.
- Colonies
- 13
- Regions
- New England, Middle, Southern
- First
- Virginia, 1607
- Last
- Georgia, 1732
- Rounds
- 3, plus the whole map
- Price
- Free, no sign up
How to Play the 13 Colonies Quiz
- Before a round, click any colony on the map to see its name and region.
- Colonies: a colony is named and you click it on the map.
- Capitals: a capital in 1775 is named, such as Boston or Williamsburg, and you click its colony.
- Founders: a clue such as Jamestown or William Penn, and you find the colony.
- Whole map asks all 13 once each and keeps your best score on this device.
What Makes It Different
- Massachusetts is drawn with Maine and Virginia with West Virginia, as they were in 1775.
- Three kinds of rounds, the map, the capitals and the founders, for history class as much as geography.
- A labelled map coloured by region, free to print.
Britain had more colonies in North America, such as Quebec, Nova Scotia and the two Floridas, but only these 13 joined together against British rule. Their delegates signed the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia on July 4, 1776.
The New England colonies
Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut and Rhode Island. Rocky soil and long winters, so people lived from fishing, shipbuilding, trade and small farms. Most settlers were Puritans, and towns were run by town meetings. Boston was the biggest city.
The Middle colonies
New York, Delaware, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Rich soil and a milder climate made them the "breadbasket" colonies, growing wheat and other grain. They were the most mixed of the three, with Dutch, Swedish, German and English settlers and many faiths. Philadelphia and New York were their great ports.
The Southern colonies
Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia. Warm weather and long growing seasons suited large plantations of tobacco, rice and indigo, worked by enslaved Africans. Charleston was the richest port of the South.
How the map changed
The colonies on this map are drawn over today's states. In 1775 Maine was part of Massachusetts, West Virginia part of Virginia, and Vermont was claimed by both New York and New Hampshire; it became the 14th state in 1791. Several colonies also claimed land west to the Mississippi River, which later became states such as Kentucky and Tennessee.
The 13 Colonies in Order of Founding
Founding dates are the first lasting settlement or charter usually given in US history books.
| # | Colony | Founded | Founded by | Region | Capital in 1775 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Virginia | 1607 | The Virginia Company, at Jamestown | Southern | Williamsburg |
| 2 | Massachusetts | 1620 | The Pilgrims at Plymouth; the Puritans of Massachusetts Bay from 1630 | New England | Boston |
| 3 | New Hampshire | 1623 | David Thomson, on a grant to John Mason | New England | Portsmouth (Exeter from 1775) |
| 4 | New York | 1624 | The Dutch, as New Netherland; English from 1664 | Middle | New York City |
| 5 | Maryland | 1634 | Cecil Calvert, Lord Baltimore | Southern | Annapolis |
| 6 | Connecticut | 1636 | Thomas Hooker | New England | Hartford (shared with New Haven) |
| 7 | Rhode Island | 1636 | Roger Williams | New England | Newport (shared with Providence) |
| 8 | Delaware | 1638 | Swedish settlers, as New Sweden; English from 1664 | Middle | New Castle |
| 9 | North Carolina | 1653 | Settlers from Virginia; the Carolina charter of 1663 | Southern | New Bern |
| 10 | New Jersey | 1664 | Lord Berkeley and Sir George Carteret | Middle | Perth Amboy (shared with Burlington) |
| 11 | South Carolina | 1670 | The Lords Proprietors of Carolina, at Charles Town | Southern | Charleston (then called Charles Town) |
| 12 | Pennsylvania | 1682 | William Penn | Middle | Philadelphia |
| 13 | Georgia | 1732 | James Oglethorpe | Southern | Savannah |
Frequently Asked Questions
What were the 13 colonies?
New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia. They were British colonies on the Atlantic coast that declared independence in 1776 and became the first 13 states of the United States.
Which was the first of the 13 colonies?
Virginia. Jamestown, founded in 1607, was the first lasting English settlement in North America.
Which was the last of the 13 colonies?
Georgia, founded by James Oglethorpe in 1732. Its first town, Savannah, followed in 1733.
What were the three regions of the 13 colonies?
New England (Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut and Rhode Island), the Middle colonies (New York, Delaware, New Jersey and Pennsylvania) and the Southern colonies (Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia).
Why were there 13 colonies?
Britain had other colonies in North America, such as Quebec, Nova Scotia and East and West Florida, but only these 13 joined the Continental Congress and declared independence together in 1776.
Which of today's states were part of the 13 colonies?
The 13 states with the same names, plus Maine (part of Massachusetts until 1820) and West Virginia (part of Virginia until 1863). Vermont was claimed by New York and New Hampshire and became the 14th state in 1791.
What were the capitals of the 13 colonies?
In 1775: Portsmouth, Boston, Newport, Hartford, New York City, Perth Amboy, Philadelphia, New Castle, Annapolis, Williamsburg, New Bern, Charleston and Savannah. Connecticut shared its capital with New Haven, Rhode Island with Providence and New Jersey with Burlington.
Is the 13 colonies quiz free?
Yes. There is no sign up and nothing to download. Sign in only if you want your scores on the leaderboard.
Made by Kashif Sulehria in Lahore, Pakistan. Updated October 23, 2026.