Delaware became the first U.S. state to ratify the Constitution. Its convention approved ratification unanimously on December 7, 1787, earning Delaware the nickname “The First State.”
Delaware’s early ratification helped demonstrate that the proposed Constitution could win support among the former colonies. Pennsylvania followed on December 12, New Jersey on December 18, and Georgia and Connecticut soon afterward. The Constitution required approval from nine states to take effect, which occurred in June 1788.
Delaware’s small size did not prevent it from playing an important role in the founding period. The state had sent delegates to the Constitutional Convention and supported a stronger federal government, particularly protections for interstate commerce. Its position at the head of Chesapeake Bay also connected it to major colonial trade routes.
A common mix-up is confusing the first state to ratify with the first colony founded or the first state admitted after the original thirteen. Delaware was an original state and ratified before all the others.