The History of Delaware is the story of a small American state, in the middle of heart of the nation, and yet until recently often isolated and even invisible to outsiders. Still because of the geographic location and settlement pattern it has been evenly divided on the key issues in American history and has often seemed like the United States in miniature.

Delaware is made up of three counties that have been well established since 1680, before the time of William Penn. Each has had its own unique settlement history and their inhabitants tended to identify more closely with the county than the colony or state. Large parts of southern and western Delaware were thought to have been in Maryland until 1767 and all of the state has existed in the looming presence of Philadelphia. Events First Portuguese governor was appointed to Macau The Swedish city Karlskrona was founded as the Royal Swedish Navy relocated there. ... For the British admiral, see William Penn (admiral). ...

Native Americans

Before Delaware was settled by Europeans, the area was home to the Delaware (also known as Lenni Lenape), Susquehanna, and other Native American tribes. The Lenape or Lenni-Lenape (later named Delaware Indians by Europeans) were, in the 1600s, loosely organized bands of Native American people practicing small-scale agriculture to augment a largely mobile hunter-gatherer society in the region around the Delaware River, the lower Hudson River, and western Long Island Sound. ... Assiniboin Boy, an Atsina Native Americans in the United States (also Indians, American Indians, First Americans, Indigenous Peoples, Aboriginal Peoples, Aboriginal Americans, Amerindians, Amerinds, or Original Americans) are those indigenous peoples within the territory which is now encompassed by the continental United States, and their descendants in modern times. ...

Dutch and Swedish colonies

The Delaware River watershed was claimed by the British based on the explorations of John Cabot in 1497, Captain John Smith and others, and was given the name held as a title by Thomas West, 3rd Baron De La Warr, the Governor of Virginia from 1610 until 1618. At that time the area was considered to be part of the Virginia colony. John Cabot gazes across Bristol Harbour Giovanni Caboto (c. ... Events May 10 - Amerigo Vespucci allegedly leaves Cádiz for his first voyage to the New World. ... Captain John Smith John Smith (1580-1631) was an English soldier and sailor, now chiefly remembered for his role in establishing the first permanent English settlement in North America, and his brief association with the Native American princess Pocahontas. ... Thomas West, 3rd (or 12th) Baron De La Warr (July 9, 1577 - June 7, 1618), was the Englishman for whom the state, river, and American Indian tribe called Delaware (in the United States) were named. ... State nickname: Old Dominion Other U.S. States Capital Richmond Largest city Virginia Beach Governor Mark R. Warner (D) Tim Kaine (D-Governor Elect) Senators John Warner (R) George Allen (R) Official language(s) English Area 110,862 km² (35th)  - Land 102,642 km²  - Water 8,220 km² (7. ... // Events January 7 - Galileo Galilei discovers the Galilean moons of Jupiter. ... Events March 8 - Johannes Kepler discovers the third law of planetary motion (he soon rejects the idea after some initial calculations were made but on May 15 confirms the discovery). ... State nickname: Old Dominion Other U.S. States Capital Richmond Largest city Virginia Beach Governor Mark R. Warner (D) Tim Kaine (D-Governor Elect) Senators John Warner (R) George Allen (R) Official language(s) English Area 110,862 km² (35th)  - Land 102,642 km²  - Water 8,220 km² (7. ...

However, the Dutch thought they also had a claim, based on the 1609 explorations of Henry Hudson, and under the auspices of the Dutch West India Company were the first Europeans to actually occupy the land. They established trading posts in 1624 at "Hooghe Eyland" (High Island), now Burlington Island, opposite Burlington, New Jersey, in 1626 at Fort Nassau, now Gloucester City, New Jersey, and at Swanendael, now Lewes, Delaware in 1631. Peter Minuit was the Dutch Director-General of the New Netherlands during this period and probably spent some time at the Burlington Island post, thereby familiarizing himself with the region. // Events April 4 – King of Spain signs an edit of expulsion of all moriscos from Spain April 9 – Spain recognizes Dutch independence May 23 - Official ratification of the Second Charter of Virginia. ... . No portrait of Hudson is known to be in existence. ... Netherland]] area, which included New Amsterdam, covered parts of present-day New York, Connecticut, Delaware, and New Jersey. ... Events January 24 - Alfonso Mendez, appointed by Pope Gregory XV as Prelate of Ethiopia, arrives at Massawa from Goa. ... See also: Burlington Township, New Jersey The City of Burlington highlighted in Burlington County. ... State nickname: The Garden State Other U.S. States Capital Trenton Largest city Newark Governor Richard Codey (D) Acting, Outgoing Jon Corzine (D) (Governor-Elect) Senators Jon Corzine (D) (Outgoing) Frank Lautenberg (D) Official language(s) None defined Area 22,608 km² (47th)  - Land 19,231 km²  - Water 3,378... Events September 30 - Nurhaci, chieftain of the Jurchens and founder of the Qing Dynasty dies and is succeeded by his son Hong Taiji. ... Gloucester City highlighted in Camden County Gloucester City is a city located in Camden County, New Jersey. ... State nickname: The Garden State Other U.S. States Capital Trenton Largest city Newark Governor Richard Codey (D) Acting, Outgoing Jon Corzine (D) (Governor-Elect) Senators Jon Corzine (D) (Outgoing) Frank Lautenberg (D) Official language(s) None defined Area 22,608 km² (47th)  - Land 19,231 km²  - Water 3,378... Seal of the City of Lewes There are other places called Lewes Lewes (pronounced LOO-is) is an incorporated city located in Sussex County, Delaware. ... // Events February 5 - Roger Williams emigrates to Boston. ... Peter Minuit (1580–1638), born in Wesel, Duchy of Cleves (present-day Germany), was the Director General of the Dutch colony of New Netherland from 1626 until 1633. ... New Netherland (Dutch Nieuw-Nederland, Latin: Nova Belgica) was the territory claimed by the Netherlands on the eastern coast of North America in the 17th century. ...

In any case, Minuit had a falling out with the directors of the Dutch West India Company, was recalled from the New Netherlands, and promptly made his services available to his many friends in Sweden, then a major power in European politics. They established a New Sweden Company and, following much negotiation, he lead a group under the flag of Sweden to the Delaware River in 1638. They established a trading post at Fort Christina, now in Wilmington, Delaware. Minuit claimed possession of the western side of the Delaware River, saying he had found no European settlement there. Unlike the Dutch West India Company, the Swedes intended to actually bring settlers to their outpost and begin a colony. Peter Minuit (1580–1638), born in Wesel, Duchy of Cleves (present-day Germany), was the Director General of the Dutch colony of New Netherland from 1626 until 1633. ... Netherland]] area, which included New Amsterdam, covered parts of present-day New York, Connecticut, Delaware, and New Jersey. ... New Netherland (Dutch Nieuw-Nederland, Latin: Nova Belgica) was the territory claimed by the Netherlands on the eastern coast of North America in the 17th century. ... The Delaware River at New Hope, Pennsylvania The Delaware River is a river on the Atlantic coast of the United States. ... Events March 29 - Swedish colonists establish first settlement in Delaware, called New Sweden. ... Fort Christina was the first Swedish settlement in North America and the principal settlement of the New Sweden colony. ... Motto: A Place To Be Somebody Founded Incorporated 1638 1832  County New Castle County Mayor James M. Baker (Dem) Area  - Total  - Water 44. ... Peter Minuit (1580–1638), born in Wesel, Duchy of Cleves (present-day Germany), was the Director General of the Dutch colony of New Netherland from 1626 until 1633. ... The Delaware River at New Hope, Pennsylvania The Delaware River is a river on the Atlantic coast of the United States. ... Netherland]] area, which included New Amsterdam, covered parts of present-day New York, Connecticut, Delaware, and New Jersey. ...

Minuit drowned in a hurricane on the way home that same year, but the Swedish colony continued to grow gradually. By 1644 Swedish and Finnish settlers were living along both sides of the Delaware River from Fort Christina to the Schuylkill River. New Sweden's best known governor, Johan Björnsson Printz, moved his residence to what is now Tinicum Township, Pennsylvania, where he intended to concentrate the settlements. Peter Minuit (1580–1638), born in Wesel, Duchy of Cleves (present-day Germany), was the Director General of the Dutch colony of New Netherland from 1626 until 1633. ... // Events February to August - Explorer Abel Tasmans second expedition for the Dutch East India Company maps the north coast of Australia. ... The Delaware River at New Hope, Pennsylvania The Delaware River is a river on the Atlantic coast of the United States. ... Fort Christina was the first Swedish settlement in North America and the principal settlement of the New Sweden colony. ... Schuykill River dranage map The Schuylkill River, pronounced skookle (IPA: ), is an approximately 130 mile (209 km) long river whose watershed of around 2000 square miles (5,000 km²) lies entirely within the state of Pennsylvania. ... New Sweden, or Nya Sverige, was a Swedish(-Finnish) colony in North America corresponding roughly to the networked region of urban sprawl around Philadelphia, containing such settlements as Finland, Lapland etc. ... Johan Björnsson Printz (1592-1663) was the governor of the Swedish colony of New Sweden in Delaware (1643-1653). ... Tinicum Township, Pennsylvania could refer to: Tinicum Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania Tinicum Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...

While the Dutch settlement at Swanendael, or Lewes, was soon destroyed in a war with native Americans, the Dutch never gave up their claim to the area, and in 1651 under the leadership of Peter Stuyvesant, built Fort Casimir, now New Castle, Delaware. Three years later, in 1654, Johan Rising, the Swedish governor captured Fort Casimir from Dutch. For the Swedes, this was a catastrophic miscalculation as the next summer, 1655, an enraged Stuyvesant led another Dutch expedition to the Delaware River, attacked all the Swedish communities and forcibly ended the New Sweden Colony, incorporating the whole area back into the New Netherlands colony. Seal of the City of Lewes There are other places called Lewes Lewes (pronounced LOO-is) is an incorporated city located in Sussex County, Delaware. ... // Events January 1 - Charles II crowned King of Scotland in Scone. ... Peter Stuyvesant, ca. ... New Castle is a city located in New Castle County, Delaware. ... Events April 5 - Signing of the Treaty of Westminster, ending the First Anglo-Dutch War. ... Johan Rising was the last governor of the Swedish colony of New Sweden in Delaware. ... Events May 10 - English troops land on Jamaica March 25 - Saturns largest moon, Titan, is discovered by Christian Huygens. ... Peter Stuyvesant, ca. ... The Delaware River at New Hope, Pennsylvania The Delaware River is a river on the Atlantic coast of the United States. ... New Netherland (Dutch Nieuw-Nederland, Latin: Nova Belgica) was the territory claimed by the Netherlands on the eastern coast of North America in the 17th century. ...

British colony

It wasn't long, though, before the Dutch as well were forcibly removed by the British, asserting their earlier claim. In 1664, James, the Duke of York, and brother of King Charles II, outfitted an expedition that easily ousted the Dutch from both the Delaware and Hudson Rivers and leaving the Duke of York the proprietary authority in the whole area. Events March 12 - New Jersey becomes a colony of England. ...

However, Cæcilius Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore, Proprietor of Maryland claimed a competing grant to lands on the western shore of the Delaware Bay, including all of the present state of Delaware. The claim was not pressed in deference to the royal will of Charles II to please his brother, James, Duke of York, who having won the area in war, and felt justified in his ownership of it. The area was administered from New York as a part of James' New York colony. At this point William Penn enters the picture and is granted "Pennsylvania," which grant specifically excluded New Castle or any of the lands within 12 miles of it. Nevertheless Penn wanted an outlet to the sea from his new province, and persuaded James to lease him the whole western shore of the Delaware Bay. So in 1682 Penn arrived in New Castle with two documents, a charter for the Province of Pennsylvania, and a lease for what became know as "the Lower Counties on the Delaware." Cæcilius Calvert Cæcilius Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore (August 8, 1605 – November 30, 1675), inherited on the death of his father George in 1632 the grant by Charles I of England of the new colony of Maryland. ... State nickname: Old Line State; Free State Other U.S. States Capital Annapolis Largest city Baltimore Governor Robert L. Ehrlich (R) Senators Paul Sarbanes (D) Barbara Mikulski (D) Official language(s) English Area 32,160 km² (42nd)  - Land 25,338 km²  - Water 6,968 km² (21%) Population (2000)  - Population 5... Charles II (29 May 1630–6 February 1685) was the King of England, King of Scots, and King of Ireland from 30 January 1649 (retrospectively de jure) or 29 May 1660 (de facto) until his death. ... James VII and II King of England, Scotland and Ireland James II of England and VII of Scotland (14 October 1633–16 September 1701) became King of England, Scotland and Ireland from 6 February 1685. ... Midtown Manhattan, looking north from the Empire State Building, 2005 New York City (officially named the City of New York) is the most populous city in the state of New York and the entire United States. ... For the British admiral, see William Penn (admiral). ... New Castle is a city located in New Castle County, Delaware. ... Events March 11 – Chelsea hospital for soldiers is founded in England May 6 - Louis XIV of France moves his court to Versailles. ... For the British admiral, see William Penn (admiral). ... New Castle is a city located in New Castle County, Delaware. ...

William Penn had inherited James' claims and thus began nearly 100 years of litigation between Penn and Baltimore, and their heirs, in the High Court of Chancery in London. The settlement of the legal battles began by the heirs agreeing to the survey performed by Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon between 1763 and 1767, which resulted in the famous Mason-Dixon line. The final adjudication of the settlement did not occur until the very eve of the American Revolution and was certainly a major reason for the close political alliance between the property owners of the Lower Counties and the Royalist Proprietary government. For the British admiral, see William Penn (admiral). ... Court of Chancery, London, late 18th century The Court of Chancery was one of the courts of equity in England and Wales. ... Charles Mason (1730–1787) was an English astronomer. ... Jeremiah Dixon (July 27, 1733 – January 22, 1779) was an English surveyor and astronomer who is perhaps best known for his work with Charles Mason, from 1763 to 1767, in determining what was later called the Mason-Dixon line. ... 1763 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... 1767 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... The symbolic Mason-Dixon Line Literally, the Mason-Dixon Line (or Mason and Dixons Line) demarcated state boundaries between the Province of Pennsylvania, the Province of Maryland, Delaware Colony and parts of Colony and Old Dominion of Virginia in colonial North America and, thus, between their successor states in... The American Revolution is the series of events, ideas, and changes that resulted in the political separation of thirteen colonies in North America from the British Empire and the creation of the United States of America. ...

In William Penn's Frame of Government of 1682, he tried to establish a combined assembly for his whole domain by providing for equal membership from each county and requiring legislation to have the assent of both the Lower Counties and the Upper Counties of Chester, Philadelphia and Bucks. The meeting place also alternated between Philadelphia and New Castle. Once Philadelphia began to grow its leaders resented having to go to New Castle and gain agreement of the assemblymen from the sparsely populated Lower Counties and so there was a mutual agreement in 1704 for the two assemblies to meet separately from thenceforth. The Lower Counties did continue to share a governor, but the Province of Pennsylvania was never merged with the Lower Counties. For the British admiral, see William Penn (admiral). ... State nickname: The Keystone State Other U.S. States Capital Harrisburg Largest city Philadelphia Governor Ed Rendell (D) Senators Arlen Specter (R) Rick Santorum (R) Official language(s) None Area 119,283 km² (33rd)  - Land 116,074 km²  - Water 3,208 km² (2. ... Philadelphia is a village located in Jefferson County, New York. ... New Castle is a city located in New Castle County, Delaware. ... New Castle is a city located in New Castle County, Delaware. ... Events Building of the Students Monument in Aiud, Romania. ... State nickname: The Keystone State Other U.S. States Capital Harrisburg Largest city Philadelphia Governor Ed Rendell (D) Senators Arlen Specter (R) Rick Santorum (R) Official language(s) None Area 119,283 km² (33rd)  - Land 116,074 km²  - Water 3,208 km² (2. ...

The Mason-Dixon line now forms the whole boundary between Delaware and Maryland, and is known as the Transpeninsular Line. The border between Pennsylvania and Delaware is formed by an arc known as The Twelve-Mile Circle laid out in the seventeenth century to clearly delineate the area within the sphere of New Castle. A small dispute lingered until 1921 over an area known as The Wedge, where the Mason-Dixon line and The Twelve-Mile Circle left a fragment of land claimed by Pennsylvania and Delaware. The symbolic Mason-Dixon Line Literally, the Mason-Dixon Line (or Mason and Dixons Line) demarcated state boundaries between the Province of Pennsylvania, the Province of Maryland, Delaware Colony and parts of Colony and Old Dominion of Virginia in colonial North America and, thus, between their successor states in... State nickname: Old Line State; Free State Other U.S. States Capital Annapolis Largest city Baltimore Governor Robert L. Ehrlich (R) Senators Paul Sarbanes (D) Barbara Mikulski (D) Official language(s) English Area 32,160 km² (42nd)  - Land 25,338 km²  - Water 6,968 km² (21%) Population (2000)  - Population 5... The Transpeninsular Line and the Tangent Line portion of the Mason-Dixon Line The Transpeninsular Line (at approximately 38° 27 N) is a surveyed line, the eastern half of which forms the north-south border between Delaware and Maryland. ... State nickname: The Keystone State Other U.S. States Capital Harrisburg Largest city Philadelphia Governor Ed Rendell (D) Senators Arlen Specter (R) Rick Santorum (R) Official language(s) None Area 119,283 km² (33rd)  - Land 116,074 km²  - Water 3,208 km² (2. ... ARC may be: ARC (former name of Hanson Quarry Products Europe) Action Régionaliste Corse Adaptive Replacement Cache Advance Reader Copy Advanced RISC Computing Advocacy for Respect for Cyclists Affinity, Reality and Communication, the Scientology concept of understanding; see ARC (Scientology) Aging Research Centre Agricultural Research Council AIDS-related complex... The Twelve-Mile Circle is a arc that makes up the majority of the north-south boundry between the states of Pennsylvania and Delaware in the United States. ... New Castle is a city located in New Castle County, Delaware. ... 1921 (MCMXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... Circle around The Wedge The Wedge (or Delaware Wedge) is the portion of the border between Delaware and Pennsylvania, between the Twelve-Mile Circle and the intersection of the north-south and east-west portions of the Mason-Dixon Line. ... The symbolic Mason-Dixon Line Literally, the Mason-Dixon Line (or Mason and Dixons Line) demarcated state boundaries between the Province of Pennsylvania, the Province of Maryland, Delaware Colony and parts of Colony and Old Dominion of Virginia in colonial North America and, thus, between their successor states in... The Twelve-Mile Circle is a arc that makes up the majority of the north-south boundry between the states of Pennsylvania and Delaware in the United States. ... State nickname: The Keystone State Other U.S. States Capital Harrisburg Largest city Philadelphia Governor Ed Rendell (D) Senators Arlen Specter (R) Rick Santorum (R) Official language(s) None Area 119,283 km² (33rd)  - Land 116,074 km²  - Water 3,208 km² (2. ...

State of Delaware

Delaware was one of the thirteen colonies which revolted against British rule in the American Revolution. After the Revolution began in 1776, the three counties became "The Delaware State," and in 1776 that entity adopted its first constitution, declaring itself to be the "Delaware State." Its first governors went by the title of "President." Betsy Ross purportedly sewed the first American flag with 13 stars and 13 stripes representing each of the 13 colonies. ... The American Revolution is the series of events, ideas, and changes that resulted in the political separation of thirteen colonies in North America from the British Empire and the creation of the United States of America. ...

The oldest black church in the country was chartered in Delaware by former-slave Peter Spencer in 1813 as the "Union Church of Africans," which is now the A.U.M.P. Church. The Big August Quarterly which began in 1814 is still celebrated and is the oldest such cultural festival in the country. A religious denomination, (also simply denomination) is a large, long-established subgroup within a religion that has been in existence for many years. ... Categories: Stub | 1782 births | 1843 deaths ... The Spencer Churches (less commonly called the Union Churches) are the two religious denominations that resulted from a schism in the first independent black denomination in the United States, the Union Church of Africans founded by Peter Spencer in Delaware in 1813 and usually called the African Union Church: African... The African Union First Colored Methodist Protestant Church and Connection, usually called the A.U.M.P. Church, is a Methodist Christian denomination and the oldest independent black denomination in the U.S. It was chartered by Peter Spencer (1782-1843) in Wilmington, Delaware, in 1813 as the Union Church... Big August Quarterly is an annual religious festival held in Wilmington, Delaware (sometimes called Big Quarterly or August Quarterly). Begun in 1814 by Peter Spencer in connection with the quarterly meeting (or conference) of the African Union Church -- of the four meetings during the year, the one in August became...

During the American Civil War, Delaware was a slave state that remained in the Union (Delaware voters voted not to secede on January 3, 1861). Delaware had been the first state to embrace the Union by ratifying the constitution, and would be the last to leave it, according to Delaware's governor at the time. While most Delaware citizens that fought in the War served in the regiments the State answered Lincoln's call to arms with, some did in fact serve in Delware companies on the Confederate side in Maryland and Virginia Regiments. The American Civil War (1861–1865) was fought in North America within the United States of America, between twenty-three mostly northern states of the Union and the Confederate States of America, a coalition of eleven southern states that declared their independence and claimed the right of secession from the... The Buxton Memorial Fountain, celebrating the emancipation of slaves in the British Empire in 1834, London. ... January 3 is the 3rd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1861 is a common year starting on Tuesday. ...

Two months before the end of the Civil War, however, Delaware voted on February 18, 1865 to reject the 13th Amendment to the United States Constitution and so voted unsuccessfully to continue slavery beyond the Civil War. Delaware symbolicaly ratified the amendment on February 12, 1901—40 years after Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation. Slavery ended in Delaware only when the 13th Amendment took effect in December of 1865. Delaware also rejected the 14th amendment during the Reconstruction Era. February 18 is the 49th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1865 is a common year starting on Sunday. ... Amendment XIII (the Thirteenth Amendment) of the United States Constitution abolished slavery. ... Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865), sometimes called Abe Lincoln and nicknamed Honest Abe, the Rail Splitter, and the Great Emancipator, was the 16th President of the United States (1861 to 1865), and the first president from the Republican Party. ... The Emancipation Proclamation The Emancipation Proclamation was a declaration by United States President Abraham Lincoln announcing that all slaves in Confederate territory still in rebellion were freed. ... (Redirected from 13th Amendment) The Thirteenth Amendment may refer to the: Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution - outlaws slavery. ... The Fourteenth Amendment may refer to the: Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution - contains the due process and equal protection clauses. ... In the history of the United States, reconstruction was the period after the American Civil War when the states of the breakaway Confederacy were reintegrated into the United States of America. ...

Population