13 Colonies Map Quiz
A free interactive map quiz for the thirteen British colonies that became the first United States. The quiz names a colony and students tap it on the map, or in Hard mode they type all 13 from memory.
Every colony also shows which group it belongs to – the New England, Middle or Southern Colonies – so students learn the regions as they play. It’s a good fit for 4th, 5th and 8th grade US history.
How to use it in class
- Explore the regions. Open Explore and tap through the colonies one region at a time. Each tap shows the colony’s name and whether it was a New England, Middle or Southern colony.
- Play Classic. The quiz names a colony and students tap it. Rhode Island and Delaware have dots to tap, so they are easy to hit on a smartboard.
- Learn from mistakes. A wrong tap shows which colony was tapped. After three misses the right colony flashes and has to be tapped before moving on.
- Try Hard mode. Students type all 13 colonies from memory, and each fills in as it’s spelled correctly.
- Print a blank map. The printable maps page has a blank 13 colonies map for labeling and coloring by region.
Classroom ideas
Color by region
Hand out the blank printable map and have students color the New England, Middle and Southern colonies, then check with Explore on the board.
North to south
Ask students to name the colonies in order from north to south, then check the order together on the map.
Colony facts
Each time a student finds a colony, ask for one fact about it: who founded it, its main crops or its major city.
All 13 colonies in this quiz
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Georgia
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New York
- North Carolina
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- Virginia
Frequently asked questions
What were the 13 colonies?
New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut (New England); New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware (Middle); and Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia (Southern).
Why is Maine part of Massachusetts on the map?
Maine was part of the Massachusetts Bay colony and only became its own state in 1820. In the same way, West Virginia is shown as part of Virginia, because it split off in 1863.
Why is Vermont gray?
Vermont was claimed by both New York and New Hampshire and was not one of the 13 colonies. It became the 14th state in 1791.
Are these the exact colonial borders?
The map uses today’s state lines, as most classroom maps do. Several colonies also claimed land much farther west than shown here.