Delaware was the first state to ratify the U.S. Constitution, a key document in the America250 era.
Delaware’s ratifying convention approved the Constitution unanimously on December 7, 1787. Its early action earned the state the nickname “The First State,” a reference to its position at the head of the ratification sequence.
Article Seven of the Constitution required nine states to ratify the document before it could take effect. New Hampshire became the ninth state on June 21, 1788, formally bringing the Constitution into operation.
Delaware’s ratification came shortly after the Constitutional Convention completed its work in Philadelphia. The state’s action was followed by Pennsylvania on December 12, 1787, and New Jersey on December 18 or 19, depending on how the event is dated in historical summaries.