After Delaware became the first state to ratify the Constitution, on 7 December 1787, the next ten states followed in fairly rapid order. Massachusetts became the sixth state on 6 February 1788, and New York became the eleventh on 26 July of the same year. North Carolina waited another 16 months before joining on 21 November 1789, and Rhode Island followed suit just over six months later – on 29 May 1790. This was two years, five months and 22 days (or two years and 173 days) after Delaware had set the ball rolling.
The 14th state to join the Union was Vermont, on 4 March 1791 – 279 days, or 9 months and 6 days, after Rhode Island.
© Haydn Thompson 2021