Rhode Island was the last original state to ratify the United States Constitution, completing the founding-era process before America250.
Rhode Island approved the Constitution on May 29, 1790, by a narrow convention vote of 34–32. The state’s decision came nearly three years after Delaware became the first state to ratify and more than a year after the new federal government began operating.
Rhode Island’s delegates had not attended the Constitutional Convention, and many residents opposed the proposed document because they feared a stronger central government. The state’s convention also demanded consideration of amendments protecting individual rights and state authority.
North Carolina was the second-to-last original state to ratify, doing so in November 1789. Rhode Island’s approval completed ratification by all 13 original states, although Article VII had already allowed the Constitution to take effect after nine states had approved it.