Which of the following was NOT one of the original 13 states?

Vermont was not one of the original 13 states that formed the United States. The original 13 states were established during and after the American Revolutionary War, and they include Massachusetts, New Jersey, Virginia, and others. Vermont, although it declared independence from both New York and New Hampshire in 1777 and was recognized as a republic, did not join the Union as a state until 1791, long after the original states had already formed the United States. This distinction is important to understand the timeline of statehood and the foundational history of the nation. The other options – Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Virginia – were all part of the original collection of colonies that ratified the Constitution and became the first states in the Union.