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The United States of America initially consisted of 13 states that had been British colonies until their independence was declared in 1776 and verified by the Treaty of Paris in 1783: New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia.^[1] The following table lists, in alphabetical order, the years in which each state was established, first as a colony and later as a state in the Union party to theUnited States Constitution.

Connecticut

Connecticut was founded by European settlers from Massachusetts in 1633.^[2] It ratified the Constitution and became a state in January 1788.^[3]

Delaware

Dutch colonists established the first European settlement in Delaware at the town now called Lewes in 1631.^[4] Delaware was the first state to ratify the U.S. Constitution in December 1787.^[5]

Georgia

England's King George II granted a charter establishing the colony of Georgia in 1732, making it the last of the original 13 states to be established.^[6] Georgia became a state in January 1788.^[7]

Maryland

The charter for the colony of Maryland was granted in 1632 and the first expedition landed in 1634. Maryland ratified the U.S. Constitution and became a state in April 1788.^[8]

Massachusetts

One of the six New England colonies, the first Massachusetts colony was established when the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock in 1620.^[9] There were originally two colonies in Massachusetts, the Plymouth Colony or the Old Colony established by the Pilgrims, and the Massachusetts Bay Colony settled by a group of Puritans in 1630. The two colonies (as well as the colony in Maine) were merged by charter in 1691.^[10][11] Massachusetts ratified the Constitution and became a state in February 1788.^[9]

New Hampshire

New Hampshire was unofficially established as a fishing settlement in 1623. A land grant in the area was subsequently given the official name of New Hampshire in 1629.Cite error: Invalid<ref> tag; invalid names, e.g. too many New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify the Constitution, doing so just before Virginia in June 1788.^[12]

New Jersey

The first permanent European settlement in New Jersey was established in 1660.^[13] New Jersey ratified the U.S. Constitution in December 1787.^[14]

New York

The first permanent settlement in New York was established by the Dutch in 1624.^[15] New York ratified the constitution and became a state in July 1788.^[16]

North Carolina

The charter for the Carolinas was issued in 1663, though Roanoke Island off the coast of North Carolina had previously been settled by colonists from Plymouth in 1587. They later vanished and it is still not known what became of them. North Carolina became a state in November 1789.^[17][18]

Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania was established as a Quaker colony in 1682.^[19] Along with Delaware and Connecticut, Pennsylvania ratified the U.S. Constitution and became a state in December 1787.^[20]

Rhode Island

Roger Williams founded the colony of Rhode Island in 1636 after being banished from the colony in Massachusetts for his political beliefs. Preferring theArticles of Confederation, Rhode Island was the last of the 13 original colonies to ratify the Constitution and become a state in May 1790.Cite error: Invalid<ref> tag; invalid names, e.g. too many

South Carolina

South Carolina was settled in 1670 and later ratified the U.S. Constitution in 1788.^[21]

Virginia

The first of the colonies to be established, Virginia came into existence in 1607. A group of colonists called the Virginia Company founded the first permanent English settlement in North America on May 14, 1607, naming it Jamestown for its location on the banks of the James River.^[22] Virginia ratified theConstitution in June 1788, becoming the tenth state in the Union.^[23]

See also

• United States Constitution
• Articles of Confederation

Footnotes