On December 7, 1787, Delaware became the first state to ratify the U.S. Constitution. Delegates voted unanimously in favor, giving the new framework of government its first official supporter. Delaware’s size and location made early ratification strategically important, since it sat at a key point between the Mid-Atlantic and the South. The decision encouraged other states to move forward with their own conventions. Delaware’s quick approval later earned it the nickname “The First State.” Its ratification marked the start of the transition from the Articles of Confederation to the constitutional system used today.
