The Original 13 States

The original 13 states forming the "United States of America" were established by the Articles of Confederation, ratified on March 1, 1781. The Articles created a loose confederation of sovereign states and a weak central government, leaving most of the power with the state governments. The need for a stronger federal government soon became apparent and eventually led to the Constitutional Convention in 1787. The present United States Constitution replaced the Articles of Confederation on March 4, 1789.

The original 13 states recognized by the Articles of Confederation were (in chronological order):

1. Delaware (ratified the Constitution on December 7, 1787)
2. Pennsylvania (ratified the Constitution on December 12, 1787)
3. New Jersey (ratified the Constitution on December 18, 1787)
4. Georgia (ratified the Constitution on January 2, 1788)
5. Connecticut (ratified the Constitution on January 9, 1788)
6. Massachusetts (ratified the Constitution on February 6, 1788)
7. Maryland (ratified the Constitution on April 28, 1788)
8. South Carolina (ratified the Constitution on May 23, 1788)
9. New Hampshire (ratified the Constitution on June 21, 1788)
10. Virginia (ratified the Constitution on June 25, 1788)
11. New York (ratified the Constitution on July 26, 1788)
12. North Carolina (ratified the Constitution on November 21, 1789)
13. Rhode Island (ratified the Constitution on May 29, 1790)