Delaware was the first state to ratify the U.S. Constitution, part of the founding history highlighted by America250.
Delaware’s convention ratified the Constitution unanimously on December 7, 1787. The state became the first member of the new Union, earning its familiar nickname, “The First State.”
The ratification occurred in Dover, Delaware, at the Golden Fleece Tavern. Delaware’s small size did not prevent it from playing an important role in the constitutional process; its delegates at the Philadelphia Convention included George Read, John Dickinson, and Richard Bassett.
The Constitution still required ratification by the other states before the federal government could operate under it. New Hampshire became the crucial ninth state to ratify in June 1788, providing the number required for the Constitution to take effect. Virginia and New York followed later that year.