U.S. state: Difference between revisions

The 13 original states came into existence in July 1776 during the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783), as the successors of the [[Thirteen Colonies]], upon agreeing to the [[Lee Resolution]]<ref name="LeeReso">{{Cite web |date=June 7, 2018 |title=Delegate Discussions: The Lee Resolution(s) |url=https://declaration.fas.harvard.edu/blog/dd-lee-resolution |access-date=September 11, 2019 |website=The Declaration Resources Project |series=Course of Human Events |publisher=Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences |language=en}}</ref> and signing the [[United States Declaration of Independence]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=November 1, 2015 |title=Declaration of Independence: A Transcription |url=https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/declaration-transcript |access-date=September 11, 2019 |website=National Archives |language=en}}</ref> Prior to these events each [[State (polity)|state]] had been a [[Kingdom of Great Britain|British]] [[British America|colony]];<ref name=LeeReso/> each then joined the first [[Perpetual Union|Union of states]] between 1777 and 1781, upon ratifying the [[Articles of Confederation]], the first U.S. constitution.<ref name="Zimmerman">{{Cite book |last=Zimmerman |first=Joseph F. |url={{GBurl|id=hDQpHzSrI0QC|p=4}} |title=Interstate Cooperation, Second Edition: Compacts and Administrative Agreements |publisher=SUNY Press |year=2012 |isbn=9781438442365 |pages=4–7 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Jensen |first=Merrill |url={{GBurl|id=pFXLAMC1xtUC|p=184}} |title=The Articles of Confederation: An Interpretation of the Social-Constitutional History of the American Revolution, 1774–1781 |publisher=University of Wisconsin Press |year=1959 |isbn=978-0-299-00204-6 |pages=xi, 184}}</ref> Also during this period, the newly independent states developed their own individual [[State constitution (United States)|state constitutions]], among the earliest written constitutions in the world.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Beeman |first=Richard R. |title=The Constitutional Convention of 1787: A Revolution in Government |url=https://constitutioncenter.org/interactive-constitution/white-pages/the-constitutional-convention-of-1787-a-revolution-in-government |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190911035217/https://constitutioncenter.org/interactive-constitution/white-pages/the-constitutional-convention-of-1787-a-revolution-in-government |archive-date=September 11, 2019 |access-date=September 11, 2019 |publisher=National Constitution Center}}</ref> Although different in detail, these state constitutions shared features that would be important in the American constitutional order: they were [[Republicanism in the United States|republican]] in form, and separated power among three branches, most had bicameral legislatures, and contained statements, or a bill, of rights.<ref>{{Cite web |title=How the First State Constitutions helped build the Federal Constitution |url=https://www.crf-usa.org/images/pdf/gates/First-States-Constitution.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160804040953/https://www.crf-usa.org/images/pdf/gates/First-States-Constitution.pdf |archive-date=August 4, 2016 |access-date=September 21, 2019 |publisher=Constitutional Rights Foundation |pages=10–12}}</ref> Later, from 1787 to 1790, each of the states also ratified a new federal frame of government in the [[Constitution of the United States]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=August 15, 2016 |title=Observing Constitution Day |url=https://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/constitution-day/ratification.html |access-date=September 11, 2019 |website=National Archives |language=en}}</ref> In relation to the states, the U.S. Constitution elaborated concepts of [[federalism in the United States|federalism]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Barnett |first=Randy E. |last2=Gerken |first2=Heather |date=July 6, 2016 |title=Article I, Section 8: Federalism and the overall scope of federal power |url=https://constitutioncenter.org/blog/article-i-section-8-federalism-and-the-overall-scope-of-federal-power/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220131093637/https://constitutioncenter.org/blog/article-i-section-8-federalism-and-the-overall-scope-of-federal-power/ |archive-date=January 31, 2022 |website=National Constitution Center}}</ref>