Which colony ratified the first state constitution in American history?

New Hampshire ratified the first state constitution in American history.

On January 5, 1776, the New Hampshire Congress met in Exeter and voted to establish a civil government. This constitution replaced royal rule while the colony was still in conflict with Great Britain.

The document created a two-part legislature: a popularly elected Assembly and a Council selected by the Assembly. It was designed as a temporary wartime government and did not contain a separate executive branch like the later federal Constitution.

New Hampshire’s action came before the Declaration of Independence and before several other colonies adopted new constitutions. Rhode Island and Connecticut instead continued using their colonial charters after removing references to the Crown, making comparisons among the early state governments more complicated.