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13 Colonies Quiz

Name the thirteen colonies, sort them into New England, Middle and Southern, and the order they ratified.

Name the thirteen British colonies that became the first US states, sort them into New England, Middle and Southern colonies, and put them in the order they ratified the Constitution.

How the 13 colonies quiz works

Every round mixes questions on the three things students are usually asked about the colonies: which states were colonies and which were not, which region each colony belonged to, and the order in which they ratified the Constitution and became states. Four choices for most questions (three for the region questions), with the answer explained after each one.

The thirteen colonies by region

RegionColonies
New England coloniesMassachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Connecticut
Middle coloniesNew York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware
Southern coloniesMaryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia

A quick way to remember them: four in New England, four in the Middle, five in the South. Maine was part of Massachusetts and Vermont was disputed land, so neither counts as one of the thirteen, and Florida was Spanish, then British, but never one of the colonies that declared independence in 1776.

The order they ratified the Constitution

  1. Delaware, December 7, 1787
  2. Pennsylvania, December 12, 1787
  3. New Jersey, December 18, 1787
  4. Georgia, January 2, 1788
  5. Connecticut, January 9, 1788
  6. Massachusetts, February 6, 1788
  7. Maryland, April 28, 1788
  8. South Carolina, May 23, 1788
  9. New Hampshire, June 21, 1788
  10. Virginia, June 25, 1788
  11. New York, July 26, 1788
  12. North Carolina, November 21, 1789
  13. Rhode Island, May 29, 1790

Sources

Regions as grouped by Encyclopaedia Britannica ("Thirteen Colonies"), the standard New England, Middle and Southern split used in US history courses. Ratification dates from Wikipedia's "List of U.S. states by date of admission to the Union".

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Frequently asked questions

What were the 13 colonies?

Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia.

What were the three regions of the colonies?

The New England colonies (Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Connecticut), the Middle colonies (New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware) and the Southern colonies (Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia).

Was Maine one of the 13 colonies?

No. Maine was part of Massachusetts until it became a separate state in 1820. Vermont was not one of the thirteen either; it joined as the 14th state in 1791.

Which colony ratified the Constitution first?

Delaware, on December 7, 1787. Rhode Island was last, on May 29, 1790.

Is the quiz free?

Yes. There is no sign-up, and your best score for each difficulty is saved in this browser.

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