Delaware Statehood
Delaware entered the constitutional Union first, giving it a permanent place at the beginning of the federal story.
How This State Entered The Union
Statehood is where constitutional structure meets regional history: the point where a place entered the Union as an equal state.
Admission To The Union
Delaware ratified the Constitution on December 7, 1787, becoming the first state in the new Union.
Path To Statehood
Its route was through independence, state formation, and constitutional ratification as part of the original state core.
Why It Matters
Delaware matters because it stands at the front of the constitutional timeline and reminds readers that the Union began through ratifying states, not only through westward expansion.
Read Next
Go back to the state page, then return to the larger constitutional story that made equal state membership possible.
Larger Context
Federalism and the founding era give the admission story its larger constitutional frame.