List of U.S. states by date of admission to the Union

[1] Kentucky, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Virginia use the term commonwealth rather than state in their full official names.

They possess all powers not granted to the federal government, nor prohibited to them by the Constitution of the United States.

In general, state governments have the power to regulate issues of local concern, such as regulating intrastate commerce, running elections, creating local governments, public school policy, and non-federal road construction and maintenance.

Each state has its own constitution grounded in republican principles, and government consisting of executive, legislative, and judicial branches.

[4] Article IV, Section 3, Clause 1 of the Constitution grants to Congress the authority to admit new states into the Union.