The First State
The Delaware convention met in Dover on Monday, December 3, 1787. On Friday, December 7, the convention ratified the constitution by a unanimous vote. December 7th is known as "Delaware Day."
Delaware Ratifies the Constitution
Detail from "Delaware Becomes The First State - State Ratification Convention at Battell's Tavern December, 1787." Delaware Public Archives.
- Ratification of the Federal Constitution by the State of DelawareBy James Miller Tunnell and the Delaware Public Archives Commission.
- The Constitution and the States: the Role of the Original Thirteen in the Framing and Adoption of the Federal ConstitutionBy Patrick T Conley; John P Kaminski; U.S. Constitution Council of the Thirteen Original States.; University of Wisconsin--Madison. Center for the Study of the American Constitution.
Includes the essay "Delaware Becomes the First State" by Harold Hancock
The Ratification
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- The Golden Fleece Tavern: Birthplace of the First State (Delaware Public Archives)The Golden Fleece Tavern, also known as Battell’s Tavern, was the site where the Delaware delegates signed the ratification document.