Delaware was the first colony to ratify the U.S. Constitution, doing so on December 7, 1787.
Delaware’s state convention unanimously approved the Constitution, making it the first of the thirteen states to join the new constitutional union. This early ratification earned Delaware the nickname “The First State,” a title that remains part of its public identity.
Pennsylvania became the second state to ratify, followed by New Jersey and Georgia. The Constitution did not take effect for the entire country immediately; it required ratification by nine states, which occurred in June 1788 when New Hampshire approved it.
Delaware’s first-place status concerns constitutional ratification, not the Declaration of Independence. The colony also played a role in the Revolutionary era through figures such as Caesar Rodney, but those are separate milestones from its 1787 ratification vote.