Delaware was the first state to ratify the United States Constitution, approving it on December 7, 1787.
Delaware’s ratifying convention met in Dover, and its delegates voted unanimously, 30–0, to accept the proposed Constitution. This made Delaware the first of the thirteen states to complete the process required by Article Seven.
The Constitution did not require every state to ratify before taking effect. Article Seven specified that approval by nine states would establish the new federal government among the ratifying states. New Hampshire became the ninth state in June 1788.
Delaware’s early ratification later inspired its nickname, “The First State.” A common mix-up is confusing this distinction with the order in which states declared independence or joined the Union; Delaware’s “first” status specifically refers to ratifying the Constitution.