Why was Franklin's snake drawing cut into 8 pieces and not 13 pieces?

Franklin's snake drawing, which illustrated the need for colonial unity during the French and Indian War, was cut into eight pieces to represent the eight colonies that were actively involved in the conflict at that time. The number eight was symbolic of the colonies that were most engaged, rather than all 13, which included those that were either less involved or not directly threatened. This choice emphasized the urgency of cooperation among the active colonies rather than diluting the message by including those that were not as directly impacted.