Delaware was the first state to ratify the United States Constitution, doing so on December 7, 1787.
Delaware’s ratifying convention met at Dover and approved the Constitution unanimously, with all 30 delegates voting in favor. The state’s small size and strong commercial ties helped produce quick support for the proposed federal system.
Article VII required nine states to ratify the Constitution before it could take effect. New Hampshire became the ninth state on June 21, 1788, while Delaware acted more than six months earlier. The Constitution was later ratified by all 13 original states.
Delaware is sometimes called “The First State” because of this early ratification. That nickname refers to the Constitution’s ratification order, not to the state being the first colony founded or the first to declare independence.