<P> Article IV, Section 3, Clause 1 of the Constitution grants to Congress the authority to admit new states into the Union . Since the establishment of the United States in 1776, the number of states has expanded from the original 13 to 50 . Each new state has been admitted on an equal footing with the existing states . </P> <P> The following table is a list of all 50 states and their respective dates of statehood . The first 13 became states in July 1776 upon agreeing to the United States Declaration of Independence, and each joined the first Union of states between 1777 and 1781, upon ratifying the Articles of Confederation, its first constitution . (A separate table is included below showing AoC ratification dates .) These states are presented in the order in which each ratified the 1787 Constitution, thus joining the present federal Union of states . The date of admission listed for each subsequent state is the official date set by Act of Congress . </P> <Table> <Tr> <Th_colspan="2"> State </Th> <Th> Date (admitted or ratified) </Th> <Th> Formed from </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> Delaware </Td> <Td> 000000001787 - 12 - 07 - 0000 December 7, 1787 (ratified) </Td> <Td> Crown Colony of Delaware </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> Pennsylvania </Td> <Td> 000000001787 - 12 - 12 - 0000 December 12, 1787 (ratified) </Td> <Td> Crown Colony of Pennsylvania </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> New Jersey </Td> <Td> 000000001787 - 12 - 18 - 0000 December 18, 1787 (ratified) </Td> <Td> Crown Colony of New Jersey </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> Georgia </Td> <Td> 000000001788 - 01 - 02 - 0000 January 2, 1788 (ratified) </Td> <Td> Crown Colony of Georgia </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 5 </Td> <Td> Connecticut </Td> <Td> 000000001788 - 01 - 09 - 0000 January 9, 1788 (ratified) </Td> <Td> Crown Colony of Connecticut </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 6 </Td> <Td> Massachusetts </Td> <Td> 000000001788 - 02 - 06 - 0000 February 6, 1788 (ratified) </Td> <Td> Crown Colony of Massachusetts Bay </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 7 </Td> <Td> Maryland </Td> <Td> 000000001788 - 04 - 28 - 0000 April 28, 1788 (ratified) </Td> <Td> Crown Colony of Maryland </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 8 </Td> <Td> South Carolina </Td> <Td> 000000001788 - 05 - 23 - 0000 May 23, 1788 (ratified) </Td> <Td> Crown Colony of South Carolina </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 9 </Td> <Td> New Hampshire </Td> <Td> 000000001788 - 06 - 21 - 0000 June 21, 1788 (ratified) </Td> <Td> Crown Colony of New Hampshire </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 10 </Td> <Td> Virginia </Td> <Td> 000000001788 - 06 - 25 - 0000 June 25, 1788 (ratified) </Td> <Td> Crown Colony of Virginia </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 11 </Td> <Td> New York </Td> <Td> 000000001788 - 07 - 26 - 0000 July 26, 1788 (ratified) </Td> <Td> Crown Colony of New York </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 12 </Td> <Td> North Carolina </Td> <Td> 000000001789 - 11 - 21 - 0000 November 21, 1789 (ratified) </Td> <Td> Crown Colony of North Carolina </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 13 </Td> <Td> Rhode Island </Td> <Td> 000000001790 - 05 - 29 - 0000 May 29, 1790 (ratified) </Td> <Td> Crown Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 14 </Td> <Td> Vermont </Td> <Td> 000000001791 - 03 - 04 - 0000 March 4, 1791 (admitted) </Td> <Td> Vermont! Vermont Republic </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 15 </Td> <Td> Kentucky </Td> <Td> 000000001792 - 06 - 01 - 0000 June 1, 1792 (admitted) </Td> <Td> Virginia (District of Kentucky: Fayette, Jefferson, and Lincoln counties) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 16 </Td> <Td> Tennessee </Td> <Td> 000000001796 - 06 - 01 - 0000 June 1, 1796 (admitted) </Td> <Td> Southwest Territory </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 17 </Td> <Td> Ohio </Td> <Td> 000000001803 - 03 - 01 - 0000 March 1, 1803 (admitted) </Td> <Td> Northwest Territory (part) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 18 </Td> <Td> Louisiana </Td> <Td> 000000001812 - 04 - 30 - 0000 April 30, 1812 (admitted) </Td> <Td> Orleans! Territory of Orleans </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 19 </Td> <Td> Indiana </Td> <Td> 000000001816 - 12 - 11 - 0000 December 11, 1816 (admitted) </Td> <Td> Indiana Territory </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 20 </Td> <Td> Mississippi </Td> <Td> 000000001817 - 12 - 10 - 0000 December 10, 1817 (admitted) </Td> <Td> Mississippi Territory </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 21 </Td> <Td> Illinois </Td> <Td> 000000001818 - 12 - 03 - 0000 December 3, 1818 (admitted) </Td> <Td> Illinois Territory (part) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 22 </Td> <Td> Alabama </Td> <Td> 000000001819 - 12 - 14 - 0000 December 14, 1819 (admitted) </Td> <Td> Alabama Territory </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 23 </Td> <Td> Maine </Td> <Td> 000000001820 - 03 - 15 - 0000 March 15, 1820 (admitted) </Td> <Td> Massachusetts (District of Maine) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 24 </Td> <Td> Missouri </Td> <Td> 000000001821 - 08 - 10 - 0000 August 10, 1821 (admitted) </Td> <Td> Missouri Territory (part) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 25 </Td> <Td> Arkansas </Td> <Td> 000000001836 - 06 - 15 - 0000 June 15, 1836 (admitted) </Td> <Td> Arkansas Territory </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 26 </Td> <Td> Michigan </Td> <Td> 000000001837 - 01 - 26 - 0000 January 26, 1837 (admitted) </Td> <Td> Michigan Territory </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 27 </Td> <Td> Florida </Td> <Td> 000000001845 - 03 - 03 - 0000 March 3, 1845 (admitted) </Td> <Td> Florida Territory </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 28 </Td> <Td> Texas </Td> <Td> 000000001845 - 12 - 29 - 0000 December 29, 1845 (admitted) </Td> <Td> Texas! Republic of Texas </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 29 </Td> <Td> Iowa </Td> <Td> 000000001846 - 12 - 28 - 0000 December 28, 1846 (admitted) </Td> <Td> Iowa Territory (part) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 30 </Td> <Td> Wisconsin </Td> <Td> 000000001848 - 05 - 29 - 0000 May 29, 1848 (admitted) </Td> <Td> Wisconsin Territory (part) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 31 </Td> <Td> California </Td> <Td> 000000001850 - 09 - 09 - 0000 September 9, 1850 (admitted) </Td> <Td> Unorganized! unorganized territory (part) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 32 </Td> <Td> Minnesota </Td> <Td> 000000001858 - 05 - 11 - 0000 May 11, 1858 (admitted) </Td> <Td> Minnesota Territory (part) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 33 </Td> <Td> Oregon </Td> <Td> 000000001859 - 02 - 14 - 0000 February 14, 1859 (admitted) </Td> <Td> Oregon Territory (part) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 34 </Td> <Td> Kansas </Td> <Td> 000000001861 - 01 - 29 - 0000 January 29, 1861 (admitted) </Td> <Td> Kansas Territory (part) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 35 </Td> <Td> West Virginia </Td> <Td> 000000001863 - 06 - 20 - 0000 June 20, 1863 (admitted) </Td> <Td> Virginia (Trans - Allegheny region counties) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 36 </Td> <Td> Nevada </Td> <Td> 000000001864 - 10 - 31 - 0000 October 31, 1864 (admitted) </Td> <Td> Nevada Territory </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 37 </Td> <Td> Nebraska </Td> <Td> 000000001867 - 03 - 01 - 0000 March 1, 1867 (admitted) </Td> <Td> Nebraska Territory </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 38 </Td> <Td> Colorado </Td> <Td> 000000001876 - 08 - 01 - 0000 August 1, 1876 (admitted) </Td> <Td> Colorado Territory </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 39 </Td> <Td> North Dakota </Td> <Td> 000000001889 - 11 - 02 - 0000 November 2, 1889 (admitted) </Td> <Td> Dakota Territory (part) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 40 </Td> <Td> South Dakota </Td> <Td> 000000001889 - 11 - 02 - 0000 November 2, 1889 (admitted) </Td> <Td> Dakota Territory (part) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 41 </Td> <Td> Montana </Td> <Td> 000000001889 - 11 - 08 - 0000 November 8, 1889 (admitted) </Td> <Td> Montana Territory </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 42 </Td> <Td> Washington </Td> <Td> 000000001889 - 11 - 11 - 0000 November 11, 1889 (admitted) </Td> <Td> Washington Territory </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 43 </Td> <Td> Idaho </Td> <Td> 000000001890 - 07 - 03 - 0000 July 3, 1890 (admitted) </Td> <Td> Idaho Territory </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 44 </Td> <Td> Wyoming </Td> <Td> 000000001890 - 07 - 10 - 0000 July 10, 1890 (admitted) </Td> <Td> Wyoming Territory </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 45 </Td> <Td> Utah </Td> <Td> 000000001896 - 01 - 04 - 0000 January 4, 1896 (admitted) </Td> <Td> Utah Territory </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 46 </Td> <Td> Oklahoma </Td> <Td> 000000001907 - 11 - 16 - 0000 November 16, 1907 (admitted) </Td> <Td> Oklahoma Territory and Indian Territory </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 47 </Td> <Td> New Mexico </Td> <Td> 000000001912 - 01 - 06 - 0000 January 6, 1912 (admitted) </Td> <Td> New Mexico Territory </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 48 </Td> <Td> Arizona </Td> <Td> 000000001912 - 02 - 14 - 0000 February 14, 1912 (admitted) </Td> <Td> Arizona Territory </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 49 </Td> <Td> Alaska </Td> <Td> 000000001959 - 01 - 03 - 0000 January 3, 1959 (admitted) </Td> <Td> Alaska! Territory of Alaska </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 50 </Td> <Td> Hawaii </Td> <Td> 000000001959 - 08 - 21 - 0000 August 21, 1959 (admitted) </Td> <Td> Hawaii! Territory of Hawaii </Td> </Tr> </Table> <Tr> <Th_colspan="2"> State </Th> <Th> Date (admitted or ratified) </Th> <Th> Formed from </Th> </Tr>

What was the first state in the united states of america