Delaware was the first state to ratify the U.S. Constitution.
Delaware’s convention approved the Constitution unanimously on December 7, 1787. Because it acted first, Delaware is commonly known by the nickname “The First State.” The ratification occurred after the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia had completed its work and sent the proposed document to the states for approval.
The state’s early ratification is part of the founding-era history that America250 programs revisit alongside independence and the Revolution. Delaware also connects to the 1975–76 American Freedom Train, whose national tour began in Wilmington. These links make the state relevant to both the earlier Bicentennial and the 2026 semiquincentennial.
Pennsylvania and New Jersey are frequent wrong answers because they were also among the earliest states to ratify. Pennsylvania ratified second, on December 12, 1787, while New Jersey ratified third, on December 18. The question asks for the order of ratification, not the location of the Constitutional Convention.