On Dec. 10, 1817, Mississippi became the 20th state admitted to the United States. Created by Congress in 1798, the Mississippi Territory followed a long and complex colonial history and included lands long home to Native Nations, including the Choctaw and Chickasaw peoples.
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In the wake of the American Revolution, present-day Indiana became part of the U.S.-claimed Northwest Territory and later the Indiana Territory before becoming the 19th state on Dec. 11, 1816.
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On June 1, 1792, Kentucky became the 15th state admitted to the United States. Originally a part of colonial Virginia, Kentucky’s residents petitioned to break away and form their own state, winning Congressional approval in 1791.
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On Nov. 21, 1789, North Carolina became the 12th state to ratify the U.S. Constitution. North Carolina holds the distinction as the site of the first attempted English settlement in America, known to history as the Lost Colony. In 1587, a group of more than 100 colonists under John White settled on Roanoke Island.
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On June 25, 1788, Virginia became the 10th state to ratify the U.S. Constitution. Dubbed the “cradle of America,” Virginia has historically played a pivotal role in many of our nation’s most consequential moments. It was the site of the first permanent English settlement in America, Jamestown, established in 1607 on the banks of the James River.
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On March 1, 1803, Ohio became the 17th state admitted to the United States. With nearly 12 million residents, the “Buckeye State” is the nation’s seventh most populous state, a ranking anchored by its major metropolitan areas, including Cleveland, Cincinnati, Dayton, Akron and Toledo.
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On May 29, 1790, Rhode Island became the 13th and final colony to ratify the U.S. Constitution. Before independence, Rhode Island was an early center of resistance to British rule. In 1772, a group of Rhode Island townsmen burned a Royal Navy schooner, the HMS Gaspee, which was enforcing British customs trade laws in Narragansett Bay.
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Some 20 years ago, Cory McCray appeared likely to become another casualty of the Baltimore streets he called home. But McCray, a Maryland senator who now serves as the deputy majority whip, bucked the odds. And he credits his reversal of fortune to an electrician’s apprenticeship program — one that not only changed his career path but also his life’s trajectory.
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As concerns grow about whether young people are prepared to enter the workforce, states increasingly are turning to registered apprenticeship programs (RAPs) as a pathway to train new workers and fill shortages in critical sectors, such as education and healthcare.
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The Council of State Governments and California Assemblymember Mike Gipson, 2026 CSG National Chair, honor the life and legacy of former chair and Washington Sen. Sam Hunt, remembering him as a trusted colleague, dedicated public servant and cherished member of the CSG community whose impact will be felt for generations.
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