What was the first state to ratify...

[A18]

The Articles of Confederation?

I know the conventional view is that Delaware is the first state because it ratified the Constitution first. However, seeing as the union existed prior to the Constitution, it would seem logical to say that the first state to ratify the Articles is the true first state of the United States.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

The Articles of Confederation?

I know the conventional view is that Delaware is the first state because it ratified the Constitution first. However, seeing as the union existed prior to the Constitution, it would seem logical to say that the first state to ratify the Articles is the true first state of the United States.

I suppose you could look at when the colonies were founded. New York once included Vermont and Duke county Massachusetts.

[PBrunsel]

Don't know, but the last to raitify was Maryland.

[The Dowager Mod]

North Carolina July 21st 1778

[A18]

The Articles of Confederation?

I know the conventional view is that Delaware is the first state because it ratified the Constitution first. However, seeing as the union existed prior to the Constitution, it would seem logical to say that the first state to ratify the Articles is the true first state of the United States.

I suppose you could look at when the colonies were founded. New York once included Vermont and Duke county Massachusetts.

Yes, but by first state, we mean the first state of the union. Otherwise the first state would be some ancient civilization.

[Emsworth]

The first state to ratify was Virginia: 16 December 1777.

[A18]

North Carolina July 21st 1778

The first state to ratify was Virginia: 16 December 1777.

Hmm... sources?

[Emsworth]

North Carolina July 21st 1778

The first state to ratify was Virginia: 16 December 1777.

Hmm... sources?

I got the information from here. I realize the source may not be trustworthy; in particular, it makes the argument that Washington was not the first President, etc.

TexasGurl gets her date from the list of signatures on the Articles. However, these dates refer only to the date the delegation signed, not the date of ratification. Some delegations were absent on 9 July, and therefore had to sign later, even though their states ratified the Articles first.

[A18]

Though that isn't really "inaccurate" so much as it's a really dumb argument. Still, I can't find anywhere else that says Virginia was the first to ratify, nor can I find any other order.

[Peter]

Wikipedia has it down as South Carolina being the first to ratify.

[Schmitz in 1972]

I come from a different line of thinking. My opinion is that the title of first state is a 13-way tie.

The resolution of independence, which was adopted on July 2, 1776, stated "These united colonies are free and independent states". The last paragraph of the declaration of independence (adopted July 4) reinforces this. Now I'm not going to get into the issue whether the 13-way tie (and indeed American independence) should be July 2 or 4 because even I don't know too much about that.

In the same resolution adopted on July 2 it said that a government must be created for the new nation. This government was established on March 1, 1781 when Maryland's vote made the Articles of Confederation officially ratified. Since the Articles of Confederation were powerless until this date, there's an argument that even if one reckons from the Articles of Confederation for statehood that it's still a 13-way tie.


Here's a general outline of early American Constitutional history.

4 (or 2) July 1776: United States of America established. CT, DE, GA, MD, MA, NH, NJ, NY, NC, PA, RI, SC, VA become states. Continental Congress is provsional form of government.

1 March 1781: Articles of Confederation goes into effect in all states, giving the United States its first official form of government and replacing the Continental Congress as the top authority.

21 June 1788: Constitution goes into effect in CT, DE, GA, MD, MA, NH, NJ, PA, SC (here one could argue that the first state was a 9-way tie), replacing the Articles of Confederation in those states. The 4 other states remain governed by the Articles of Confederation, but remain part of the United States.

25 June 1788: Constitution goes into effect in VA, replacing the Articles of Confederation in the state.

26 July 1788: Constitution goes into effect in NY, replacing the Articles of Confederation in the state.

21 November 1789: Constitution goes into effect in NC, replacing the Articles of Confederation in the state.

29 May 1790: Constitution goes into effect in RI, replacing the Articles of Confederation in the state.

4 March 1791: VT, which had some months earlier ratified the Constitution (but NOT become a state) becomes a state.

15 December 1791: Amendments I-X added to Constitution.

1 June 1792: Kentucky becomes a state having just previously ratified the Constitution as a condition for statehood (all subsequent states  would ratifiy the Constitution shortly before admission as a condition for statehood).

[Emsworth]

I come from a different line of thinking. My opinion is that the title of first state is a 13-way tie.

That is my view as well.

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Indeed. A further issue is if 1776 should be considered the year of American independence, instead of 1783, the year of the ratification of the Treaty of Paris, as the Declaration was an extralegal document.

[A18]

The United States were a free and independent throughout the war, so that should be considered the date IMO.

I get what you mean, though. The union was not a reality until each of the 13 states ratified the Articles, and thus it was a 13-way tie.

[Emsworth]

The United States were a free and independent throughout the war, so that should be considered the date IMO.

My point is that from July 1 to July 5, there wasn't much change in the de facto independence of the U.S., so July 2/4 can't really be considered Independence Day in this regard.

Furthermore, as I said before, the Declaration was an extralegal document, so July 2/4, 1776 would not have been the de jure date of independence either.

[Schmitz in 1972]

Indeed. A further issue is if 1776 should be considered the year of American independence, instead of 1783, the year of the ratification of the Treaty of Paris, as the Declaration was an extralegal document.

Of course, the war esentially ended in 1781 so we had de facto recognition of Independence by GB at that point. Another viewpoint would be that we officially became a nation when the US ratified the treaty on Jan. 14 1784. And there's yet another option: the preliminary treaty of Nov. 30 1782.

Given all this for simplicity's sake I just always say 1776