Rhode Island was the last of the original thirteen states to ratify the Constitution, completing the process tied to America250’s founding story.
Rhode Island ratified the Constitution on May 29, 1790, by a narrow vote of 34 to 32. Its delegates had initially resisted joining the constitutional system, and the state held out after the Constitution had already become the operating framework of the United States.
The Constitution needed nine state ratifications to take effect, a threshold reached when New Hampshire ratified on June 21, 1788. North Carolina and Rhode Island remained outside the new Union’s constitutional ratification process for longer. North Carolina ratified in November 1789, leaving Rhode Island as the final state.
Rhode Island’s delay is sometimes confused with New Hampshire’s role. New Hampshire was the ninth state and therefore supplied the legal threshold for the Constitution to become effective. Rhode Island’s later vote completed unanimous participation by the original thirteen states.