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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On July 26, 1788, New York became the 11th colony to ratify the U.S. Constitution. With its port and central location among the other colonies, New York played a pivotal role during the American Revolution. In one of the war’s first major battles, British forces defeated the Continental Army in present-day Brooklyn, forcing Gen. George Washington to withdraw his troops via a daring nighttime retreat — a feat historians would later count as one of Washington’s greatest military accomplishments.
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On June 21, 1788, New Hampshire became the ninth American colony to ratify the U.S. Constitution. Although no major American Revolution battles were fought in New Hampshire, it was the first colony to declare its independence, adopting the first state constitution in 1776, which predated the U.S. Declaration of Independence by several months.
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On March 4, 1791, Vermont became the first state admitted to the Union after the original 13 colonies. Prior to joining the United States, Vermont operated as an independent nation, minting its own currency, running a postal service and forming its own military, the Green Mountain Boys. During the American Revolution, a contingent of Green Mountain Boys, led by Ethan Allen, crossed Lake Champlain and captured Fort Ticonderoga in a night raid. It was a gambit that would prove crucial later in the war.
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On May 23, 1788, South Carolina became the eighth American colony to ratify the U.S. Constitution. During the American Revolution, South Carolina was a critical battleground, characterized by guerrilla warfare, and the site of more skirmishes and battles with British troops than any other colony. South Carolina’s nickname, the “Palmetto State,” stems from one of its most pivotal clashes: the Battle of Sullivan’s Island.
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On Jan. 9, 1788, Connecticut became the fifth American colony to ratify the U.S. Constitution. Connecticut earned the nickname “The Constitution State” for its role in adopting the 1639 “Fundamental Orders of Connecticut” — among the first governing documents to recognize that the people are the foundation of public authority and to establish a system in which citizens elect their own officials. The document is widely regarded as an early influence for the U.S. Constitution.
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