Delaware was the first state to ratify the U.S. Constitution, extending the founding story celebrated by America250.
Delaware’s ratifying convention approved the Constitution on December 7, 1787. Its vote was unanimous, 30–0, and the state became the first of the thirteen states to accept the proposed national framework.
The Constitution required ratification by conventions in the states rather than approval by the Confederation Congress. Article Seven specified that ratification by nine states would be enough for the Constitution to take effect among those states. New Hampshire became the ninth state on June 21, 1788.
Delaware is sometimes confused with Pennsylvania, which ratified five days later, or New Jersey, which followed on December 18. The state’s nickname, “The First State,” reflects its early ratification of the Constitution, not its position as the first colony to declare independence.