Rhode Island was the last of the original thirteen states to ratify the U.S. Constitution.
Rhode Island approved the Constitution on May 29, 1790, nearly three years after the document was signed. Its delay reflected strong local opposition to a more powerful national government, concerns about federal taxation, and demands for amendments protecting individual liberties. Rhode Island had also declined to send delegates to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia.
The Constitution became effective for the ratifying states after New Hampshire became the ninth state to approve it on June 21, 1788. That milestone allowed the new government to begin, but the remaining states still had to decide whether to join the constitutional system. North Carolina ratified in November 1789, leaving Rhode Island as the final holdout.
Rhode Island's ratification came after economic and political pressure, including the prospect of being excluded from the national union. Its decision completed the original states' ratification process, while the Bill of Rights was being added to address several objections raised during the debate.