Delaware is known as the "First State[1]" because it was the first state to join the United States on December 7, 1787 after the Revolutionary War. The state is also known as the "Small Wonder[1]" and the "Blue Hen State[1]." Delaware is known as the “Small Wonder” due to its small size and the significant contributions it has made to the country’s development. Despite being the second-smallest state in the nation, Delaware contains so much in such a small space. It has a few sizable cities, a major port, natural areas, and more. The nickname also reflects the state’s considerable contributions to America’s development. As for the “Blue Hen State”, this nickname comes from the fighting Blue Hen Cocks that were carried by Delaware Revolutionary War Soldiers for entertainment during cockfights. This tradition became so popular that the Blue Hen became a symbol of Delaware’s resilience and spirit.
Delaware is the second smallest state in the United States, with a land area of 1,948 square miles.[2] Delaware’s economy ranks 43rd in size among states and Washington, DC.[3] More than 50% of all NYSE-listed businesses and 60% of the Fortune 500 are incorporated in Delaware due to its business-friendly corporate law.[4] The state’s largest employers are government entities and the state of Delaware itself.[5] Delaware exported $5.2 billion in goods, helping to support more than 128,000 jobs tied to international trade.[6]
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History of Delaware
In 1609, Henry Hudson, an Englishman sailing for the Dutch East India Company, discovered Delaware Bay and River.[7] The next year, in 1610, Captain Samuel Argall, an English sea captain, named the bay and river after Lord De La Warr, the governor of Virginia at the time. Beginning in 1631, Dutch colonists settle at Zwaanendael, the site of present-day city of Lewes. In 1638, Peter Minuet lead a group of Swedes to the Delaware Bay and establishes Fort Christina (now Wilmington), the first permanent settlement on the Delaware and the beginnings of the New Sweden Colony.[7] The Dutch defeated the Swedes on Delaware Bay, ending the New Sweden Colony and Delaware becomes a part of New Netherland.[7] Then, in 1664, Sir Robert Carr drove the Dutch out of Delaware Bay and claimed the land for James, Duke of York.[8]
With the breakout of the American Revolutionary War, on June 15, 1776, the Delaware Assembly declared independence from England and three lower Pennsylvania counties bloke off and adopted a constitution and became Delaware State, the first of all the colonies to call themselves a state.[7]
In the early 20th century, the du Pont family and their gunpowder company dominated Delaware’s development. The DuPont Company, the country’s largest producer of explosives, earned enormous profits through its sales to both the United States and its allies during World War I.[9] Segregation in education, housing, and public accommodations remained the norm in Delaware until the U.S. Supreme Court’s historic Brown v. Board of Education decision in 1954.[9] During the second half of the 20th century, Delaware changed significantly. Population flowed from Wilmington to its suburbs. Resort and retirement communities developed along the Atlantic coast in the southeast portion of the state.[9]
Demographics of Delaware
The demographic distribution of Delaware is as follows:[10]
- White: 65.73%
- Black or African American: 21.97%
- Two or more races: 5.04%
- Asian: 4.04%
- Other race: 2.86%
- Native American: 0.31%
- Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander: 0.04%
Most common surnames in Delaware
Researching family history in Delaware
The Delaware Public Archives has thousands of documents and other material for researching genealogical roots. The Delaware Genealogical Society can provide research assistance and the Delaware Historical Society Library has an important collection of colonial records, newspapers, church records, state records, Revolutionary War, Civil War, Delaware histories and genealogies. Local public libraries also have resourses such as histories and genealogies. Two examples are the Dover Public Library and the Wilmington Public Library.
Delaware county list
The state of Delaware has three counties: New Castle, Kent, Sussex. The fewest counties of any state in the United States.
Explore more about Delaware
MyHeritage has 20 specific collections for Delaware including Delaware Voting Registrations, Delaware Marriages, Delaware Newspapers, 1880-2009 and Delaware Probate Records. There are other records listed in the Delaware - Collection Catalog.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 9 Delaware Nicknames You Should Know
- ↑ Interesting Facts About Delaware | Harvard Business Services
- ↑ Economy of Delaware Statistics and Data Trends: GDP ranking, unemployment rate, and economic growth | USAFacts
- ↑ Delaware
- ↑ These Are The 100 Largest Companies In Delaware
- ↑ U.S. Global Leadership Matters for Delaware – Facts & Figures
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Delaware History Timeline: Delaware Important Dates and Events
- ↑ Delaware Colony
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Delaware - Slavery, Civil War, Reconstruction | Britannica
- ↑ Delaware Population 2024