Admission to the Union facts for kids

The Admission to the Union Clause (also known as the New States Clause) is a part of the United States Constitution. It lets Congress add new states to the United States. There were thirteen states when the Constitution came into effect. 37 new states have since been added to the United States by this clause. Each new state has an equal footing with the ones that already exist.

Text

Article 4, Section 3, Clause 1 (US Constitution):
Original text:

New States may be admitted by the Congress into this Union; but no new State shall be formed or erected within the Jurisdiction of any other State; nor any State be formed by the Junction of two or more States, or Parts of States, without the Consent of the Legislatures of the States concerned as well as of the Congress.

Simpler text:

New States can be added by the Congress into the United States. No new State can be added from land from inside an existing State, or multiple States, unless the governments of those States and Congress agree to it.

Images for kids

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  The order in which the original 13 states ratified the constitution, then the order in which the others were admitted to the union.