Delaware was the first U.S. state to ratify the Constitution, earning the nickname “First State.”
Delaware’s ratifying convention unanimously approved the Constitution on December 7, 1787. The vote took place in Dover, making Delaware the first of the thirteen states to accept the proposed framework of the new federal government. Its early ratification gave the small state a memorable place in the founding story.
The Constitution required ratification by conventions in at least nine states before it could take effect. Delaware’s decision was therefore important symbolically, but it did not by itself put the Constitution into operation. New Jersey became the third state to ratify, while New Hampshire became the decisive ninth in June 1788.
Delaware’s “First State” nickname refers specifically to its order of constitutional ratification, not to its founding date or admission to the Union. The state had been one of the original colonies and later became one of the original states under the Constitution.