The 13 stars on the Great Seal of the United States represent the original 13 colonies that declared independence from Great Britain in 1776.

These colonies were:

1. New Hampshire

2. Massachusetts

3. Rhode Island

4. Connecticut

5. New York

6. New Jersey

7. Pennsylvania

8. Delaware

9. Maryland

10. Virginia

11. North Carolina

12. South Carolina

13. Georgia

The 13 stars were arranged in a circle, symbolizing unity and the idea that these colonies were now a new, unified nation.