Section #5 - Statistical Tables
Dates of Admission
To gain admission to the Union, a territory must reach a threshold population of settlers, pass a Constitution, form a provisional government and submit an application to Congress. A ballot is then taken with each existing state having one vote and a majority required to succeed.
All new states are granted “equal footing/rights” with their predecessors under the U.S. Constitution. The Supreme Court approves this provision in the 1845 case of Lessee of Pollard v Hagen.
The first new state was Vermont, admitted in March 1791.
8.0 Dates of Admission to the Union
| # | State | Date | Designation | Free-Slave |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Delaware | Dec 7, 1787 | Slave | 0-1 |
| 2 | Pennsylvania | Dec. 12, 1787 | Free | 1-1 |
| 3 | New Jersey | Dec 18, 1787 | Free | 2-1 |
| 4 | Georgia | Jan 2, 1788 | Slave | 2-2 |
| 5 | Connecticut | Jan 9, 1788 | Free | 3-2 |
| 6 | Massachusetts | Feb 6,1788 | Free | 4-2 |
| 7 | Maryland | April 28,1788 | Slave | 4-3 |
| 8 | South Carolina | May 23, 1788 | Slave | 4-4 |
| 9 | New Hampshire | June 21, 1788 | Free | 5-4 |
| 10 | Virginia | June 25, 1788 | Slave | 5-5 |
| 11 | New York | July 26, 1788 | Free | 6-5 |
| 12 | North Carolina | Nov 21, 1789 | Slave | 6-6 |
| 13 | Rhode Island | May 29, 1790 | Free | 7-6 |
| 14 | Vermont | Mar 4, 1791 | Free | 8-6 |
| 15 | Kentucky | June 1, 1792 | Slave | 8-7 |
| 16 | Tennessee | June 1, 1796 | Slave | 8-8 |
| 17 | Ohio | Mar 1, 1808 | Free | 9-8 |
| 18 | Louisiana | April 30, 1812 | Slave | 9-9 |
| 19 | Indiana | Dec 11, 1816 | Free | 10-9 |
| 20 | Mississippi | Dec 10, 1817 | Slave | 10-10 |
| 21 | Illinois | Dec 3, 1818 | Free | 11-10 |
| 22 | Alabama | Dec 14, 1819 | Slave | 11-11 |
| 23 | Maine | Mar 15, 1820 | Free | 12-11 |
| 24 | Missouri | Aug 10, 1821 | Slave | 12-12 |
| 25 | Arkansas | June 15, 1836 | Slave | 12-13 |
| 26 | Michigan | Jan 26, 1837 | Free | 13-13 |
| 27 | Florida | Mar 3, 1845 | Slave | 13-14 |
| 28 | Texas | Dec 29, 1845 | Slave | 13-15 |
| 29 | Iowa | Dec 28, 1846 | Free | 14-15 |
| 30 | Wisconsin | May 29, 1848 | Free | 15-15 |
| 31 | California | Sept 9, 1850 | Free | 16-15 |
| 32 | Minnesota | May 11, 1858 | Free | 17-15 |
| 33 | Oregon | Feb 14, 1859 | Free | 18-15 |
| 34 | Kansas | Jan 29, 1861 | Free | 19-15 |
| 35 | W. Virginia | June 20, 1863 | Free | 20-15 |
| 36 | Nevada | Oct 31, 1864 | Free | 21-15 |