On July 4, 1987, the USPS issued the first in a series of stamps honoring America’s first 13 states. The series honored each state’s 200th anniversary of statehood as well as the bicentennial of the ratification of the Constitution.
On April 28, 1788, Maryland was the seventh state to ratify the US Constitution, an act that admitted it as America’s seventh state.
On January 2, 1788, Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the US Constitution, making it our fourth state.
On November 8, 1889, Montana was admitted to the Union. The population exploded in the years leading up to after statehood due to the discovery of rich gold, silver, and copper deposits.
On November 2, 1889, North Dakota was admitted to the Union as the 39th state.
On October 24, 1861, the people of West Virginia voted to secede from the Confederate state of Virginia. They would achieve statehood less than tow years later.
On October 18, 1867, Alaska became part of America in a move dubbed “Seward’s Folly.”
On July 26, 1788, New York ratified the US Constitution, becoming America’s 11th state. It has grown to be America’s fourth most populous state, with more than 20 million residents.
The United States passed the Northwest Ordinance on July 13, 1787 to establish a set of steps all future states would have to follow. It was ground breaking at the time and led to the organized and rapid expansion of America.