The Admissions Clause of the Constitution grants general state-creation powers to Congress in Article IV, Section 3: "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 shall any State be formed by the...
Section 3. The Congress may admit new states into the union; however, no new states shall be formed or erected within the jurisdiction of any other state; nor shall any state be formed by the union of two or more states, or parts of states, without the consent of the legislatures of the states involved as well as the Congress. The Congress has not only the authority but also the duty to propose states to be admitted into the Union.
The procedure for adding a new state to the United States is complicated and can only be done with the approval of the existing member states plus the consent of the people who live in that state. If you look at the original articles of association for the United States, you will see that most of them mention some kind of process that a person or group must go through before becoming a state. Some of these processes include being approved by the legislature, and others require just your signature on a document. In order for this process to be completed, it is necessary to have an official state identity card called a "certificate of citizenship". This card is what allows a person to vote in any federal election. It also lets them use public facilities such as schools and hospitals. Without this card, a person would not be considered a citizen of the United States and thus could not become eligible to vote in any federal election.
In 1787, the Congress proposed the constitution for Vermont.
"New States may be admitted into this Union by the Congress; but no new state shall be formed or erected within the Jurisdiction of any other State; nor shall 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 the...
The Congress may admit new states into the Union; however, no new state shall be formed or erected within the Jurisdiction of any other State; nor shall 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 involved, as well as the...
No new state, however, will be created or built within the authority of any existing state, nor shall any state be constituted by the combining of two or more states, or portions of states, without the permission of the legislatures of the states involved as well as the Congress. The admission of a new state into the Union requires the approval of both houses of the United States Congress and the ratification of the necessary state legislatures.
The power to admit new states into the Union is explicitly granted in the Constitution, but the wording of this provision has been the subject of considerable debate between those who believe that the clause gives Congress exclusive authority to admit new states (thus preserving state sovereignty) and those who argue that the language is plain enough to allow for alternative methods of admission (such as through treaty).
In fact, several different methods of state formation have been used by various nations in history. Some countries, such as France and Spain, use a process called "dual citizenship," under which certain individuals are declared to be citizens of both the original country and the new one. In other cases, such as with the creation of Israel, one country will often grant its own citizens the right to settle in another country. And in yet other cases, such as with the formation of South Africa, one country will often divide itself up into multiple independent states.
The Admission to the Union Clause of the United States Constitution, often known as the New States Clause, is located in Article IV, Section 3, Clause 1 of the United States Constitution and enables the United States Congress to admit new states into the Union (beyond the thirteen already in existence at the time the Constitution went into effect). The clause provides that "New States may be admitted by the Congress into this Union".
The last addition to the United States was the passage of the Alaska Territory Statehood Act on July 7, 1958. Alaska became the 45th state on January 3, 1959.
An amendment to the United States Constitution, commonly referred to as the Bill of Rights, was proposed by Congress and ratified by the states to protect individual liberties. It contains ten specific prohibitions against government interference with private life, liberty, and property. These rights are thought to be fundamental to a democratic society and without which such a society cannot exist or remain free.
In addition to adding states to the union, the Constitution also allows for territories to become states. Puerto Rico became a state after the United States won its war with Spain. However, if Puerto Rico chooses to reject statehood, then it can opt out and remain a territory.
States can also leave the union. If two-thirds of the states petition for removal, then the President must agree to allow this to happen.
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