<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> December 7, 1787 (ratified) </Td> <Td> Colony of Delaware </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> Pennsylvania </Td> <Td> December 12, 1787 (ratified) </Td> <Td> Proprietary Province of Pennsylvania </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> New Jersey </Td> <Td> December 18, 1787 (ratified) </Td> <Td> Crown Colony of New Jersey </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> Georgia </Td> <Td> January 2, 1788 (ratified) </Td> <Td> Crown Colony of Georgia </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 5 </Td> <Td> Connecticut </Td> <Td> January 9, 1788 (ratified) </Td> <Td> Crown Colony of Connecticut </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 6 </Td> <Td> Massachusetts </Td> <Td> February 6, 1788 (ratified) </Td> <Td> Crown Colony of Massachusetts Bay </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 7 </Td> <Td> Maryland </Td> <Td> April 28, 1788 (ratified) </Td> <Td> Proprietary Province of Maryland </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 8 </Td> <Td> South Carolina </Td> <Td> May 23, 1788 (ratified) </Td> <Td> Crown Colony of South Carolina </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 9 </Td> <Td> New Hampshire </Td> <Td> June 21, 1788 (ratified) </Td> <Td> Crown Colony of New Hampshire </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 10 </Td> <Td> Virginia </Td> <Td> June 25, 1788 (ratified) </Td> <Td> Crown Colony and Dominion of Virginia </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 11 </Td> <Td> New York </Td> <Td> July 26, 1788 (ratified) </Td> <Td> Crown Colony of New York </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 12 </Td> <Td> North Carolina </Td> <Td> November 21, 1789 (ratified) </Td> <Td> Crown Colony of North Carolina </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 13 </Td> <Td> Rhode Island </Td> <Td> May 29, 1790 (ratified) </Td> <Td> Crown Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 14 </Td> <Td> Vermont </Td> <Td> March 4, 1791 (admitted) </Td> <Td> Vermont Republic </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 15 </Td> <Td> Kentucky </Td> <Td> June 1, 1792 (admitted) </Td> <Td> Virginia (nine counties in its District of Kentucky) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 16 </Td> <Td> Tennessee </Td> <Td> June 1, 1796 (admitted) </Td> <Td> Southwest Territory </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 17 </Td> <Td> Ohio </Td> <Td> March 1, 1803 (admitted) </Td> <Td> Northwest Territory (part) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 18 </Td> <Td> Louisiana </Td> <Td> April 30, 1812 (admitted) </Td> <Td> Territory of Orleans </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 19 </Td> <Td> Indiana </Td> <Td> December 11, 1816 (admitted) </Td> <Td> Indiana Territory </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 20 </Td> <Td> Mississippi </Td> <Td> December 10, 1817 (admitted) </Td> <Td> Mississippi Territory </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 21 </Td> <Td> Illinois </Td> <Td> December 3, 1818 (admitted) </Td> <Td> Illinois Territory (part) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 22 </Td> <Td> Alabama </Td> <Td> December 14, 1819 (admitted) </Td> <Td> Alabama Territory </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 23 </Td> <Td> Maine </Td> <Td> March 15, 1820 (admitted) </Td> <Td> Massachusetts (District of Maine) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 24 </Td> <Td> Missouri </Td> <Td> August 10, 1821 (admitted) </Td> <Td> Missouri Territory (part) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 25 </Td> <Td> Arkansas </Td> <Td> June 15, 1836 (admitted) </Td> <Td> Arkansas Territory </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 26 </Td> <Td> Michigan </Td> <Td> January 26, 1837 (admitted) </Td> <Td> Michigan Territory </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 27 </Td> <Td> Florida </Td> <Td> March 3, 1845 (admitted) </Td> <Td> Florida Territory </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 28 </Td> <Td> Texas </Td> <Td> December 29, 1845 (admitted) </Td> <Td> Republic of Texas </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 29 </Td> <Td> Iowa </Td> <Td> December 28, 1846 (admitted) </Td> <Td> Iowa Territory (part) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 30 </Td> <Td> Wisconsin </Td> <Td> May 29, 1848 (admitted) </Td> <Td> Wisconsin Territory (part) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 31 </Td> <Td> California </Td> <Td> September 9, 1850 (admitted) </Td> <Td> unorganized territory (part) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 32 </Td> <Td> Minnesota </Td> <Td> May 11, 1858 (admitted) </Td> <Td> Minnesota Territory (part) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 33 </Td> <Td> Oregon </Td> <Td> February 14, 1859 (admitted) </Td> <Td> Oregon Territory (part) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 34 </Td> <Td> Kansas </Td> <Td> January 29, 1861 (admitted) </Td> <Td> Kansas Territory (part) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 35 </Td> <Td> West Virginia </Td> <Td> June 20, 1863 (admitted) </Td> <Td> Virginia (50 Trans - Allegheny region counties) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 36 </Td> <Td> Nevada </Td> <Td> October 31, 1864 (admitted) </Td> <Td> Nevada Territory </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 37 </Td> <Td> Nebraska </Td> <Td> March 1, 1867 (admitted) </Td> <Td> Nebraska Territory </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 38 </Td> <Td> Colorado </Td> <Td> August 1, 1876 (admitted) </Td> <Td> Colorado Territory </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 39 </Td> <Td> North Dakota </Td> <Td> November 2, 1889 (admitted) </Td> <Td> Dakota Territory (part) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 40 </Td> <Td> South Dakota </Td> <Td> November 2, 1889 (admitted) </Td> <Td> Dakota Territory (part) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 41 </Td> <Td> Montana </Td> <Td> November 8, 1889 (admitted) </Td> <Td> Montana Territory </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 42 </Td> <Td> Washington </Td> <Td> November 11, 1889 (admitted) </Td> <Td> Washington Territory </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 43 </Td> <Td> Idaho </Td> <Td> July 3, 1890 (admitted) </Td> <Td> Idaho Territory </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 44 </Td> <Td> Wyoming </Td> <Td> July 10, 1890 (admitted) </Td> <Td> Wyoming Territory </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 45 </Td> <Td> Utah </Td> <Td> January 4, 1896 (admitted) </Td> <Td> Utah Territory </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 46 </Td> <Td> Oklahoma </Td> <Td> November 16, 1907 (admitted) </Td> <Td> Oklahoma Territory and Indian Territory </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 47 </Td> <Td> New Mexico </Td> <Td> January 6, 1912 (admitted) </Td> <Td> New Mexico Territory </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 48 </Td> <Td> Arizona </Td> <Td> February 14, 1912 (admitted) </Td> <Td> Arizona Territory </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 49 </Td> <Td> Alaska </Td> <Td> January 3, 1959 (admitted) </Td> <Td> Territory of Alaska </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 50 </Td> <Td> Hawaii </Td> <Td> August 21, 1959 (admitted) </Td> <Td> 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 50th state in the united states