Introduction to History of Delaware
Indians first entered what is now Delaware several thousand years ago, probably in search of game. At the time of European exploration in the 17th century, the region was populated mainly by the Lenni-Lenape (or Delaware) Indians, an Algonquian-speaking people who numbered about 11,000.
Important dates in Delaware1609 English explorer Henry Hudson, sailing for the Dutch, visited Delaware Bay.1610 A ship commissioned by Lord De La Warr, governor of Virginia, entered Delaware Bay.1631 The Dutch founded Zwaanendael at present-day Lewes.1638 Swedish colonists founded the colony of New Sweden. They established Fort Christina, Delaware's first permanent settlement, at present-day Wilmington.1655 The Dutch captured New Sweden.1664 The English seized Dutch territory on the Delaware River.1682 William Penn took over the Delaware counties.1704 Delaware's first separate legislature met.1777 The British invaded Delaware and won a small battle at Coochs Bridge.1779 Delaware signed the Articles of Confederation.1787 (Dec. 7) Delaware became the first state of the Union.1802 Eleuthere Irenee du Pont founded a powder mill on the banks of Brandywine Creek.1861-1865 Delaware fought on the Union side during the Civil War.1897 Delaware adopted its present Constitution.1951 The Delaware Memorial Bridge opened, connecting Delaware with New Jersey.1957 The state began providing funds for needy students to attend the University of Delaware.1963 The Delaware Turnpike John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway was opened, completing a nonstop highway between Boston and Washington, D.C.1971 The Delaware Coastal Zone Act prohibited construction of industrial plants in coastal areas.1981 The Delaware legislature passed the Financial Center Development Act, which made the state attractive for credit card operations.2000 Ruth Ann Minner became the first woman elected governor of Delaware. She was reelected in 2004.Early Exploration and Settlement
Henry Hudson, an English explorer in the service of the Dutch West India Company, discovered the body of water that came to be called Delaware Bay in 1609, laying the basis for a claim to the area by the Netherlands. Delaware was named by Samuel Argall, an English sea captain, who sailed past the region on his way to Virginia in 1610. It was named for Sir Thomas West, Lord de la Warr, governor of Virginia. The first settlement in Delaware was made in 1631 by 28 Dutch settlers, who established a colony called Zwaanendael (Valley of the Swans) near present-day Lewes. The following year, the colonists were massacred by Indians.
No attempt was made to resettle the colony, but interest in the Delaware area continued. In 1638, a group of Swedish colonists, led by Peter Minuit, founded the first permanent settlement, at the site of what is now Wilmington. To defend the colony, called New Sweden, they built Fort Christina, named for the queen of Sweden. The Swedes, who had lived in log dwellings in their homeland, built log cabins in New Sweden, and the log cabin became the typical American pioneer dwelling. The colony grew slowly, never having more than 400 settlers. Relations with the Indians were good.
In 1651, the Dutch, who regarded the area as their possession, built Fort Casmir at what is now New Castle. The garrison was captured by the Swedes in 1654. In 1655, a naval force under Peter Stuyvesant, director general of the nearby Dutch colony of New Netherland, seized New Sweden for the Dutch.
Conflict between the Netherlands and England over trade and colonies led to war and the English seizure of New Netherland and the area that is now Delaware in 1664. The territory was given to the Duke of York (later King James II) by his brother, King Charles II. Delaware was administered as part of New York (the former New Netherland). In 1682, the duke granted Delaware, then called the Territories, to William Penn. Penn had been given the region that is now Pennsylvania the previous year.
Penn made his first trip to North America in October, 1682, landing near New Castle. A short time later, the Territories, now called the Three Lower Counties on the Delaware, were united with Pennsylvania. The counties—New Castle, Kent, and Sussex—were given a separate assembly in 1704 and, though subject to the authority of Pennsylvania's governor, developed a degree of self-government. In the early 18th century, farming was the principal occupation. Later, flour milling and shipbuilding also became important. There were some black inhabitants, most of them slaves.
Statehood and Early Development
Delaware remained under the governor of Pennsylvania until the Revolutionary War. Such Delaware statesmen as Thomas McKean, John Dickinson, Caesar Rodney, and George Read became leaders in the movement for independence from England. On September 21, 1776, patriots met at New Castle and wrote a constitution making Delaware a state, with Dover as its capital. During the Revolution, British troops briefly occupied New Castle County, in 1777. On December 7, 1787, Delaware became the first state to ratify the U.S. Constitution.
During the early 19th century, canals and railways were built. Although the state remained predominantly agricultural, there were the beginnings of industry. Gristmills were built on the Brandywine and Christina rivers, and cloth, paper, and flour began to be manufactured in Wilmington. E. I. du Pont de Nemours, a French immigrant, started to produce gunpowder on the Brandywine in 1802. The Chesapeake and Delaware Canal opened in 1829. In 1837, the Philadelphia, Wilmington, and Baltimore Railroad was built across northern Delaware. It gave impetus to industrialization of the region, and towns sprang up along the route. In the years just preceding the Civil War, Wilmington became an important commercial center.
Civil War and Postwar Era
Delaware had forbidden importation of slaves since 1787, but had permitted slave-holding to continue. At the time of the Civil War, blacks made up about one-fourth of the state's population; most of them were free. Even free blacks, however, had had their rights limited by state statutes. Delaware remained loyal to the Union during the war, but some citizens who owned slaves supported the Confederacy. The Du Pont Company was the chief supplier of gunpowder to the Union army.
After the war, Delaware's industry expanded as large numbers of immigrants came to work in the factories in and near Wilmington. Lower Delaware remained agricultural, with corn and wheat being the main crops. The status of blacks did not improve significantly in the postwar era. The Democratic party, which had controlled the government in the prewar period, supported white supremacy and continued in power until 1889, when the Republicans won control of the legislature and became the state's majority party.
Modern Development. Industry, especially in the Wilmington-Brandywine area, prospered in the late 19th century. There was significant industrial expansion during World War I, particularly in shipyards and powder mills, and many workers moved to manufacturing centers. At about this time, the Du Pont Company diversified into chemicals, paints, and plastics. The du Pont family did much to stimulate Delaware's progress in industry, education, and transportation. T. Coleman du Pont financed construction of the state's first paved highway, from Wilmington to the southern border. The highway, completed in 1924, aided farmers and the state's growing tourist industry.
During the Great Depression of the 1930's, factories and shops closed and thousands of workers were unemployed. However, Delaware suffered less than other states because agriculture remained strong. After the outbreak of World War II, the state's industries and farms made important contributions to the war effort. Industrial expansion proceeded throughout the 1950's, as many corporations took advantage of Delaware's favorable tax laws and established facilities in the state.
During the 1960's, prosperity continued, but Delaware suffered from racial unrest. In 1967 and 1968, blacks rioted in Wilmington, protesting inequitable treatment. Court-ordered desegregation of predominantly black Wilmington schools and mainly white suburban schools led to racial tensions in the 1970's.
In the 1980's, the economy showed significant growth, but concern about the environment became an issue as a result of rapid commercial development along the coast. Also, concerns increased over finances in the 1980's. In 1980, a state constitutional limit was enacted that capped government spending at 95 per cent of its expected revenue. The resulting unused funds helped to increase the state's financial base. The Financial Center Development Act was passed in 1981, removing some restrictions on banks in Delaware; this led many large banks to move some operations into Delaware, creating a source of new jobs and revenue.
The 1990 census showed that Delaware had an increase in population of more than 10 per cent since 1980; it was one of only a few states in the North to register significant gains. In the early 2000's, Ruth Ann Minner became Delaware's first female governor. She was elected to office both in 2000 and 2004.