Delaware was the first state to ratify the U.S. Constitution, an important sequel to the 1776 founding.
Delaware’s ratifying convention approved the Constitution unanimously on December 7, 1787. Because it acted first, Delaware earned the nickname “The First State,” a designation still used today. Pennsylvania followed five days later, and New Jersey became the third state to ratify.
Article Seven of the Constitution required ratification by nine states for the document to take effect. New Hampshire became the ninth state on June 21, 1788, while Rhode Island was the last of the original thirteen states to ratify, doing so in 1790.
The Constitution belongs to the next stage of the founding story after the Declaration of Independence. The Declaration announced independence from Great Britain in 1776; the Constitution created a stronger federal system after the Articles of Confederation proved inadequate. America250 celebrations often connect these milestones as parts of the country’s founding history.