Delaware was the first state to ratify the United States Constitution after the founding era commemorated by America250.
Delaware's ratifying convention approved the Constitution unanimously on December 7, 1787. This occurred less than three months after delegates signed the document in Philadelphia and began the state-by-state ratification process.
Article VII required approval from nine of the thirteen states for the Constitution to take effect. New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify on June 21, 1788, while Rhode Island was the last of the original thirteen states, ratifying on May 29, 1790.
Delaware's early ratification earned it the nickname “The First State,” a phrase also connected to its position as the first state to ratify the Constitution. The Constitution replaced the Articles of Confederation as the federal government's framework in 1789.