Delaware was the first state to ratify the U.S. Constitution.
Delaware’s convention approved the Constitution unanimously on December 7, 1787, making it the first of the thirteen states to ratify the new framework of government. Its early approval earned Delaware the nickname “The First State,” a title later reinforced by state tradition and official usage.
The Constitution required ratification by nine states before it could take effect among the ratifying states. New Jersey became the third state to ratify, and New Hampshire became the ninth on June 21, 1788. The process was contentious in several states, with supporters and opponents debating federal power, representation, taxation, and individual liberties.
Delaware’s action came eleven years after the Declaration of Independence and nine years before the Bill of Rights was ratified. The state’s small size did not prevent it from playing a pivotal role in the transition from the wartime Articles of Confederation to the constitutional government that still structures the United States.