Which of the following states is NOT one of the original states?

The correct choice is Florida because it was not one of the original thirteen states that declared independence from Great Britain in 1776. The original states are Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, along with ten others, which were established before Florida became a state in 1845. Florida was acquired by the United States from Spain in 1819, and it took many years before it joined the Union. Recognizing Florida's admission to statehood after the original states helps to understand the historical context of the earliest formation of the United States.