Vermont became the first state admitted to the Union after the original 13 states.
Congress admitted Vermont as the 14th state on February 18, 1791, with statehood taking effect on March 4. Vermont’s admission followed a long dispute involving competing claims by New York and New Hampshire, as well as Vermont’s own period as an independent republic.
Before joining the Union, Vermont operated under the name Vermont Republic from 1777 to 1791. Its government adopted a constitution in 1777, making Vermont one of the earliest political entities in North America to prohibit adult slavery in its founding document.
Congress had already agreed to admit Kentucky as the 15th state, but Kentucky’s statehood did not take effect until June 1, 1792. That timing makes Vermont the correct answer, even though congressional action on Kentucky occurred earlier in 1791.
Vermont’s admission expanded the Union beyond the states that had declared independence from Britain. Its name is commonly associated with the French phrase meaning “green mountain,” reflected in the state’s landscape and nickname.