W8USR - Special Events

The 9th Annual 13 Colonies Special Event Celebration (2017)

About the Special Event

The 13 Colonies Special Event is a massive annual amateur radio tradition running every July to commemorate America's independence, regional history, and historical heritage. The event utilizes special 1x1 call signs for each of the original thirteen colonies alongside unique international bonus stations, prompting thousands of amateur radio operators worldwide to jump onto the bands for a collective clean sweep.

The concept was created by founder Ken Villone (KU2US) in late 2008 following his participation in the ARRL Sweepstakes. The event officially debuted on the airwaves with its inaugural run in July 2009. Ken Villone later recalled the origin story of the event in his own words:

The 2017 event ran from July 1 at 1300 UTC through July 7 at 0400 UTC. Rather than keeping fixed operational hours, volunteer operators from home stations across all 13 states transmitted throughout the week based entirely on personal availability, operating across major HF voice and CW bands alongside localized VHF/UHF configurations.

The Historical Story of the 13 Colonies

Great Britain originally established three distinct regions along the Atlantic coast of North America: the New England, Middle, and Southern colonies. These regions developed unique cultures and paths based heavily on local climate, regional economics, and settler motivations. They were established sequentially by the British Crown over a span of 125 years, starting with Virginia in 1607 and culminating with Georgia in 1732.

English Puritans and Pilgrims settled New England seeking religious freedom. Facing rocky soil and harsh winters, their economy focused on shipbuilding, logging, fishing, and maritime trade. The Middle region, often called the "breadbasket colonies," featured deep, fertile river valleys ideal for wheat and grain cultivation, fostering ethnic diversity. The Southern region utilized an agrarian economy built around warm climates and long growing seasons, focusing on large cash crops like tobacco, rice, and indigo through plantation systems.

Tensions strained severely following the French and Indian War due to heavy British tax implementations without colonial representation. The passage of the Tea Act on May 10, 1773, prompted outraged colonists to board three British ships on December 16, 1773, dumping 342 chests of tea into Boston Harbor. In retaliation, Parliament passed the harsh Coercive Acts (Intolerable Acts) in 1774, closing Boston Harbor and stripping self-governance. This escalation terrified and united the colonies, leading directly to the first military conflicts in 1775 and making the Declaration of Independence inevitable by July 1776, establishing the United States of America.

Station Log: Contact History

Personal Operational Note: I successfully managed to log contacts with 15 out of the 16 available stations during the 2017 operating window, including the European bonus operations. While I heard the WM3PEN Philadelphia bonus station on the air multiple times, the massive pileups prevented me from establishing a final contact to secure a clean sweep of the entire roster.