There were 13 original states. Name five.

Why this is the answer

The question asks for five of the thirteen original states, so plan to say five names in a row. All thirteen began as British colonies on the East Coast. In the order the USCIS study guide lists them, they are New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia. They became states when the colonists adopted the Declaration of Independence in 1776, which ended the Colonial Period and created the United States of America. Each new state then wrote its own constitution and set up its own government. The statehood dates you sometimes see come later, because USCIS explains that statehood is counted from the day each state ratified the U.S. Constitution. Delaware, Pennsylvania and New Jersey were first, in 1787. Eight followed in 1788: Georgia, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland, South Carolina, New Hampshire, Virginia and New York. North Carolina came in 1789, and Rhode Island, the last, in 1790. A little background makes the names easier to keep. When the Colonial Period began in 1607, the colonists belonged to England. England and Scotland joined as one country, Great Britain, in 1707, and from then on the thirteen colonies were part of Great Britain, which is why they are called British colonies by the time of the Revolution. The country still carries their memory on the flag, whose thirteen red and white stripes stand for the original colonies. To reach five without freezing, use groups. The three states that start with "New" give you a head start, and the two Carolinas add two more, so you have five before you need to think. Keep Virginia and Georgia in reserve in case one name slips. The states applicants sometimes add by mistake, such as Florida, Vermont, Maine or Ohio, are part of the country today but are not among the thirteen. Say five names you are sure of, then stop.