Final answer:
It would be improper to call the original 13 colonies "united" before independence because they lacked a combined political structure, only uniting after facing common challenges under British rule. The drive towards unity culminated with the Declaration of Independence in 1776.
Step-by-step explanation:
It would be improper to call the original 13 colonies "united" prior to their declaration of independence and the formation of the United States because they initially did not have a unified political or governmental structure. Each colony operated independently and had distinct governments, economies, and interests. The concept of unity only became a reality after they collectively decided to join together to declare independence in 1776. The movement towards unity was a gradual process, emerging out of the need to collaborate against common challenges and oppressions under British rule, as reflected in the sentiments of the Declaration of Independence.
The colonies' path to unification was influenced by a growing American point of view that was distinctly different from that of the British. It was also shaped by events such as Joseph Galloway's failed proposal for an imperial union with Britain, which was rejected in favor of maintaining colonies’ independent thinking. The Second Continental Congress, fired by the first confrontations of the Revolutionary War at Lexington and Concord, ultimately took decisive action to declare the colonies as free and independent states, leading to the creation of the United States of America as we know it.