PENNSYLVANIA - The Keystone State played a central and indispensable role in the formation of the United States. As the meeting place for the Continental Congress and the site where both the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution were drafted and signed, its transition from a British colony to one of the new nation's first states was a pivotal moment in American history.
1787: The Year Pennsylvania Officially Became a State
This article answers the question of what year Pennsylvania officially became a state.
From Province to Commonwealth
Before the American Revolution, the region was officially known as the Province of Pennsylvania, established in 1681 under a charter granted to William Penn. Following the Declaration of Independence in 1776, Pennsylvania, like the other colonies, began to operate as an independent state, adopting its constitution and styling itself the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. However, its official entry into the newly formed United States of America was dependent on ratifying the U.S. Constitution.
Ratification and Statehood: December 12, 1787
The defining moment for Pennsylvania's statehood occurred after the U.S. Constitution was drafted in Philadelphia during the summer of 1787. Each of the thirteen states then had to hold a convention to vote on whether to ratify, or approve, this new framework for national government.
- Date of Ratification: Pennsylvania's convention voted in favor of ratification on December 12, 1787.
- Order of Ratification: It was the second state to do so, following Delaware by just five days.
This act of ratification officially transformed the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania into the second state of the United States of America.
The Keystone State's Significance:
Pennsylvania's swift ratification was crucial. As one of the largest, wealthiest, and most centrally located states, its approval provided significant momentum for the new Constitution. The fact that the document was created in Philadelphia made the state's endorsement particularly powerful.
While Pennsylvania began acting as an independent state in 1776, it officially became a state within the newly structured United States of America in 1787. The ratification of the U.S. Constitution on June 21, 1788, marked its formal entry as the second state in the new nation, solidifying its legacy as the Keystone State that helped secure the union.
Sources:
- National Archives (U.S. Constitution and Ratification Records)
- Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission (PHMC)
- Pennsylvania State Archives
- Historical accounts of the Constitutional Convention
- Colonial Records of Pennsylvania
