States in Order of Statehood

The original 13 states

The 13 former colonies became states in the order they ratified the Constitution. Delaware was first, on December 7, 1787, followed by Pennsylvania and New Jersey the same month. New Hampshire, the ninth state, ratified on June 21, 1788; nine ratifications were needed for the Constitution to take effect.

North Carolina ratified on November 21, 1789, after the new federal government had begun, and Rhode Island was last, on May 29, 1790.

Expansion in the 19th century

In all, 29 states joined between 1801 and 1900, more than in any other century. Vermont, admitted on March 4, 1791, was the first state after the original 13. Milestones:

• Ohio (1803): the first state formed from the Northwest Territory.
• Louisiana (1812): the first state carved from the Louisiana Purchase.
• Maine (1820) and Missouri (1821): admitted under the Missouri Compromise; Maine had been part of Massachusetts.
• Texas (1845): annexed as an independent republic and admitted on December 29, 1845.
• California (1850): admitted after the Mexican–American War without first being an organized territory.
• West Virginia (1863): split from Virginia during the Civil War.
• 1889–1890: six states joined in 250 days: North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Washington, Idaho and Wyoming.

North Dakota and South Dakota were admitted on the same day, November 2, 1889. By convention North Dakota is listed 39th and South Dakota 40th, in alphabetical order.

Utah followed in 1896 and Oklahoma in 1907. New Mexico (January 6, 1912) and Arizona (February 14, 1912) completed the 48 contiguous states.

The last states: Alaska and Hawaii (1959)

After a gap of 47 years, two states joined in 1959. Alaska, bought from Russia in 1867, became the 49th state on January 3, 1959. Hawaii, annexed in 1898, became the 50th on August 21, 1959. No state has been admitted since.