On December 7, 1787, the small but politically remarkably well-organized Delaware became the first state to ratify the new United States Constitution.

This moment marked the beginning of the creation of the modern American union, in which the former colonies sought to harmonize after the turbulent years of the Revolutionary War.

Despite its size, Delaware had the ambition to be the leader of the new order, and its delegates believed that a stronger central government was necessary for the survival of the new state.

After the US Constitution was finalized at the Philadelphia Convention in September 1787, the document was sent to the states for ratification. To take effect, it had to be accepted by nine of the thirteen states at the time.

Delaware turned out to be the fastest: the Dover convention, consisting of 30 delegates, approved the Constitution unanimously. Such a consensus was unusual in an era when debates between Federalists and Antifederalists often caused deep political divisions.

The Delaware delegates believed that the new system would better guarantee them equal status within the union, especially since the Articles of Confederation, the previous constitutional arrangement, had often left smaller states feeling politically marginalized.

The new constitution, which proposed a A bicameral Congress and a stronger executive branch offered, they argued, a more stable framework for economic development and security.

The day Delaware first ratified the US Constitution is celebrated as Delaware Day. In the months that followed, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, and Connecticut joined, creating the critical mass needed to form the American federal government.

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