Delaware (DE).

• Region: Atlantic coast
• Population: 1,018,396 (ranked 45th; 2022)
• Capital: Dover (pop. 38,594) (2022 estimate)
• Largest city: Wilmington (pop. 71,569) (2022 estimate)
• Number of counties: 3
• State nickname: First State; Diamond State; Blue Hen State
• State motto: Liberty and Independence
• State flag: Blue field with buff diamond with state coat of arms and date of entrance to Union

Delaware, the first state to ratify the Constitution, entered the Union on December 7, 1787. It is part of the Mid-Atlantic Region, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean on the east, by Pennsylvania and New Jersey on the north, and Maryland on the west and south. The state is part of the Delmarva Peninsula, which includes Maryland's eastern shore and part of Virginia. Though it was a state that participated in the institution of slavery during the Civil War, Delaware remained within the Union. Southern Delaware is highly agricultural, growing soybeans as well as corn and wheat. Northern Delaware has many farms but also emphasizes manufacturing. One of the state's largest manufacturers is the chemical giant DuPont. Tourists enjoy visiting the state for its scenic Atlantic resort areas such as Rehoboth Beach, as well as for cultural sites such as the Winterthur Museum.

State Name: The state was named for Baron De La Warr, the colonial governor of Virginia in the early 1630s. The name was given by English sea captain Samuel Argall, who sailed into Delaware Bay a year after Henry Hudson became the first European to explore it. Delaware has several nicknames. It is called the First State for being first to ratify the US Constitution. Another name is the Diamond State, after President Thomas Jefferson's remark that Delaware, like a diamond, was small but highly valuable. A third nickname is the Blue Hen State, after the bird which served as Delaware troops' mascot during the Revolutionary War.

Capital:Dover is the capital of Delaware. The original capital was established at New Castle, when the state declared its independence in 1776.

Flag: The Delaware flag has a union or background of colonial blue. In the middle of the flag is a diamond of buff (tan) color; within this diamond is the state coat of arms. The colors buff and colonial blue represent the colors of General George Washington's Revolutionary War uniform.

A figure stands on either side of the coat of arms; one is a farmer (representing agriculture), and the other is a Revolutionary War soldier. Other agricultural symbols include a shock of wheat, an ear of corn, and an ox. Above the coat of arms is a ship, representing Delaware's commerce. A ribbon banner under the human figures reads "Liberty and Independence." Underneath the diamond is the phrase "December 7, 1787," the date that Delaware entered the Union. Delaware adopted this flag on July 24, 1913.

Official Symbols

• Flower: Peach blossom
• Bird: Blue hen
• Tree: American Holly
• Animal: Horseshoe crab (marine); Grey fox (wildlife)
• Fish: Weakfish
• Song: "Our Delaware" by George B. Hynson, Donn Devine, and Will M. S. Brown

State and National Historic Sites

• Amstel House (New Castle)
• Barratt's Chapel and Museum (Frederica)
• Breakwater East End Lighthouse (off the coast of Cape Henlopen)
• Cannonball House (Lewes)
• Christ Episcopal Church (Dover)
• Cooch's Bridge Battlefield (Newark)
• Delaware Museum of Natural History (Wilmington)
• De Vries Monument (Lewes)
• Fort Christina State Park (Wilmington)
• Fort Delaware (Delaware City)
• Hagley Museum and Eleutherian Mills (Wilmington)
• Holy Trinity (Old Swedes') Church (Wilmington)

DEMOGRAPHICS

• Population: 1,018,396 (ranked 45th; 2022)
• Population density: 508.0/sq mi (2020)
• Urban population: 82.6% (2020 estimate)
• Rural population: 17.4% (2020 estimate)
• Population under 18: 20.4% (2022 estimate)
• Population over 65: 20.8% (2022 estimate)
• White alone: 68.0% (2022)
• Black or African American alone: 23.8% (2022)
• Hispanic or Latino: 10.3% (2022)
• American Indian and Alaska Native alone: 0.7% (2022)
• Asian alone: 4.4% (2022)
• Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone: 0.1% (2022)
• Two or More Races: 3.0% (2022)
• Per capita income: $38,917 (ranked 16th; 2021)
• Unemployment: 4.5% (2022)

American Indians: Delaware was home to numerous tribes belonging to the Algonquian language family during colonial times. The most prominent was the Lenni Lenape ("the First People"), a tribe that lived by growing corn and hunting. The English settlers called them the Delaware, after the name they gave to the region. The Nanticoke, a less prominent Algonquian tribe, inhabited southern Delaware. The Minqua or Susquehannock, related to the northern Iroquois, were another powerful tribe. They gave their name to the Susquehanna River which runs through Pennsylvania and Maryland. The Minqua often fought the Lenape for control of the region. Tired of battles with the settlers, the Lenape left Delaware in the late 1740s and moved to western Pennsylvania. The state government officially recognized the Delaware (Lenni Lenape) tribe in 1996. As of 2023, the state had no federally recognized tribes.

ENVIRONMENT AND GEOGRAPHY

• Total area: 2,489 sq mi (ranked 49th)
• Land area: 1,949 sq mi (78.3% of total area)
• Water area: 540 sq mi (21.7% of total area)
• Shoreline: 381 miles
• National parks: 1
• Highest point: Ebright Road (442 feet)
• Lowest point: Atlantic Ocean (sea level)
• Highest temperature: 110° F (Millsboro, July 21, 1930)
• Lowest temperature: -17° F (Millsboro, January 17, 1893)

Topography: Delaware is part of the Delmarva Peninsula, a large coastal plain which includes the Eastern Shore of Maryland and Virginia's eastern peninsula. This tidewater region has many wetlands, both freshwater and saltwater. One of the most important is the Great Cypress Swamp, in southern Delaware and part of Maryland. The northern part of the state, near Pennsylvania, has a few low hills. There are many small rivers, flowing into either the Chesapeake Bay watershed or into the Delaware River. The presence of so many rivers—and therefore water power—greatly aided the state's early economic development.

Major Lakes

• Andrews Lake
• Garrisons Lake
• Griffiths Lake
• Silver Lake

Major Rivers

• Brandywine River
• Broadkill River
• Christina River
• Delaware River
• Mispillion River
• Murderkill River
• Nanticoke River
• Smyrna River

State and National Parks: Delaware has seventeen state parks and one national park. The state parks include natural areas along the Atlantic coast, such as Cape Henlopen State Park and Delaware Seashore State Park. There are also numerous historic sites such as Fort Delaware State Park, a federal fort built in 1859 on a coastal island to protect the ports of Wilmington and Philadelphia.

Natural Resources: Delaware has abundant natural resources, particularly agricultural ones. These include soybeans, corn, and fruit trees. Poultry and dairy animals are another important resource. The Atlantic coastal waters provide plentiful harvests of fish and crabs. Mineral resources include sand and gravel, used in making concrete, and greensand, a glauconite-quartz compound used for water filtration. The DuPont Company, based in Wilmington, has developed chemicals as an important resource. The firm's genetic-engineering work with seeds has helped to make Delaware farms even more productive.

Plants and Animals: Delaware's plants and animals are typical of the Mid-Atlantic Region, with its temperate climate. The state lies in a transitional region between Northern and Southern states. Plant species in the northern half look more like those of neighboring Pennsylvania, while those in the southern half tend to resemble species in Maryland and Virginia.

Much of the state is tidal wetlands. These marshes are important to migrating birds, which use the so-called Atlantic Flyway to travel up and down the East Coast. The flyway includes the Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge and the Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge. These protected areas serve as home to waterfowl including snow geese as well as mammals such as deer, muskrats, and foxes. Marsh plant species include the bald cypress tree. The coastal dunes of Cape Henlopen State Park are inhabited by species such as the horseshoe crab.

Climate: Delaware has a temperate climate, with mild winters and warm summers. Like the rest of the Delmarva Peninsula, it owes this to the presence of warm coastal air off the Atlantic. The average coastal temperature in winter is about 42 degrees Fahrenheit, while inland areas generally stay around freezing (32 degrees Fahrenheit). Annual precipitation is approximately 45 inches.

EDUCATION AND CULTURE

Major Colleges and Universities

• Delaware State University (Dover)
• Goldey-Beacom College (Wilmington)
• University of Delaware (Newark)
• Wilmington University (New Castle)

Major Museums

• Delaware Agricultural Museum (Dover)
• Delaware Art Museum (Wilmington)
• Delaware Museum of Nature & Science (Wilmington)
• Hagley Museum (Wilmington)
• Rockwood Museum (Wilmington)
• Winterthur Museum (Wilmington)
• Zwaanendael Museum (Lewes)

Major Libraries

• Hagley Library (Wilmington)
• Delaware Historical Society (Wilmington)
• Morris Library, University of Delaware (Newark)
• State Archives (Dover)
• Wilmington Institute Free Library (Wilmington)

ECONOMY AND INFRASTRUCTURE

• Gross domestic product (in millions $USD): 87,524.8 (ranked 41st; 2022)
• GDP percent change: 3.4%

Major Industries: Delaware is heavily agricultural, especially in the southern part of the state. Crops harvested in the state include corn, wheat, potatoes, and soybeans. Dairy and chicken farming are also important, and broiler chickens are a principal agricultural product of the state. Northern Delaware is strongly industrial, especially in the chemical industry. Pharmaceuticals, industrial chemicals, plastics, and other synthetics are the state’s primary manufactured products, and while manufacturing remained an important industry, by the 2020s economic diversification meant that industries such as financial services had also become major contributors to employment and revenue. Chemical giant DuPont, founded in 1802, is based in Wilmington. Other important industries include transportation equipment, machinery and machine tools, food-canning, and paper products. The aircraft industry has grown into a source of revenue and jobs for Delaware, with Dassault Falcon, Summit Aviation, and ALOFT AeroArchitects headquartered in the state. Commercial fishing is also important, particularly for crabs and clams. Many out-of-state companies, particularly banks, choose to incorporate in Delaware because of the state's friendly business laws.

Tourism: Visitors to Delaware often come to enjoy the state's heritage, in colonial cities such as New Castle, as well as cultural activities in Wilmington, including the Winterthur Museum and the Fort Christina Monument. Other attractions include picturesque resorts and parks along the state's long Atlantic shoreline. These include Rehoboth Beach and Cape Henlopen. In 2021, there were 9.8 million overnight visitors to the state and the tourism industry contributed $4 billion to the state's GDP.

Energy Production: Delaware relies on conventional power sources such as natural gas for its energy. The state has no nuclear or hydroelectric power plants. In 2021, the state generated 86 percent of its electricity from natural gas and 7 percent from coal. The state has one coking refinery in Delaware City, which has a capacity of about 180,000 barrels per day.

Agriculture: In addition to growing crops, farmers raise poultry and livestock. Like the Eastern Shore of Maryland, Delaware has a large broiler-chicken industry. Major crops include corn, potatoes, soybeans, peas, wheat, and barley. In 2022, about 2,300 farms were operating in the state of Delaware. Agriculture is an important source of revenue.

Airports: Delaware has one major airport within the state—Wilmington Airport. The state aviation authority also operates general-aviation airports such as Summit Airport in Middletown, Delaware Airpark in Cheswold (part of the Dover metropolitan area), and Delaware Coastal Airport in Georgetown. Delaware Airpark is an aviation ramp that serves general corporate and recreational flyers, as well as the Air Force Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) at Delaware State University.

Seaports: Delaware's only seaport is the Port of Wilmington, on the Delaware River. It is operated by the Diamond State Port Corporation, a state-run management company. The port was founded in 1923 and has been managed by the state since 1995. It is located sixty-five miles from the Atlantic, where the Delaware and Christina Rivers meet. Each year the port handles over four hundred vessels and six million tons of cargo from around the world.

GOVERNMENT

• Governor: John Carney (Democrat)
• Present constitution date: 1897
• Electoral votes: 3
• Number of counties: 3
• Violent crime rate: 431.9 (per 100,000 residents; 2020)
• Death penalty: No

Constitution: Delaware's current constitution dates from 1897, when the state's farmers sought to curb the political influence of Wilmington. The previous versions date from 1831, 1792, and 1776. Delaware was the first state to ratify the United States Constitution, on December 7, 1787. Unlike any other state in the Union, Delaware's government can change the state constitution without needing public approval.

Branches of Government

Executive: When the state first declared its independence, the Delaware chief executive was known as the president. Eventually, this title was changed to governor, as in other parts of the Union. The Delaware governor is elected to a four-year term and may serve up to two consecutive terms. Duties include proposing legislation and overseeing the state executive departments.

The state's lieutenant governor, who is also elected to a four-year term, fills in for the governor if necessary. Other duties include presiding over the State Senate. Like the governor, the lieutenant governor can be re-elected. The remaining executive-branch officials are the state treasurer, attorney general, auditor of accounts, and insurance commissioner.

Legislative: Delaware's General Assembly contains two houses. The upper house, known as the Senate, has twenty-one members elected for four-year terms. The lower house, the House of Representatives, has forty-one members elected for two-year terms.

Judicial: Delaware's highest court is the Delaware Supreme Court, which is the court of final appeal. Its members (one chief justice and four associate justices) are all appointed by the governor to twelve-year terms and must be confirmed by the state senate.

Directly beneath the Delaware Supreme Court is the Delaware Superior Court, which serves as Delaware's court of general jurisdiction except in equity (i.e., business law) cases, which are heard by the Delaware Court of Chancery. The state court of chancery also hears civil-rights cases. Beneath these two courts are courts of limited jurisdiction, including family court, the court of common pleas, and the justice of the peace court, the alderman's courts. There are also various judicial agencies, such as the Administrative Office of the Courts.

HISTORY

ca. 1400 The Lenni Lenape, an Algonquian tribe, settles along the Delaware River.

ca. 1600 The Lenni Lenape come under attack from the Minqua tribe of the Susquehanna River Valley.

1609 English explorer Henry Hudson sights Delaware Bay and the Delaware River while on an expedition for the Dutch East India Company, to find a Northwest Passage from Europe to Asia.

1610 Samuel Argall, an English sea captain, sails into Delaware Bay. He names both the bay and the river in honor of Sir Thomas West, Baron De La Warr, Virginia's first colonial governor.

1631 The first Dutch effort to colonize Delaware ends in failure. American Indians kill the settlers within a year's time. The second Dutch colony is not established until twenty years later, at Fort Casimir (present-day New Castle).

1638 Swedish settlers arrive in Delaware and establish a colony at Fort Christina (present-day Wilmington). The New Sweden colony is the first permanent European settlement in the area. The colony retains its independence until 1655, when it is conquered by the Dutch of New Netherlands (New York) under Peter Stuyvesant.

1651 The New Netherlands colony, under Governor Peter Stuyvesant, establishes Fort Casimir in Delaware, at the site of present-day New Castle. Swedish colonists capture the fort three years later, in 1654. In 1655, however, Stuyvesant's forces conquer all of New Sweden.

1664 The British capture the New Netherlands colony and rename it New York, after the Duke of York, the brother of King Charles II. (The duke later becomes King James II.)

1673 The Delaware region again falls under Dutch control, but they return the territory to the English the following year. During their year-long occupation, the Dutch establish the districts that become Delaware's three counties.

1681 King Charles II of Great Britain grants William Penn a charter for the colony of Pennsylvania. The charter is granted to repay royal debts to the estate of Penn's late father, Admiral Penn.

1682 William Penn receives additional American territory for his colony, when the Duke of York grants him title to Delaware. The duke had annexed the territory to New York following his 1664 victory over the Dutch. Penn establishes representative government in Pennsylvania and gives Delaware the same number of delegates. Delaware eventually becomes known as the "Three Lower Counties" or "Three Lower Territories" of Pennsylvania.

1701 The Penns grant the Three Lower Counties the right to have their own legislature. This assembly begins meeting in 1704. For the next seventy-five years, until the American Revolution, the Delaware region enjoys partial autonomy from the proprietary government in Philadelphia.

1731 Wilmington is founded by Thomas Willing, as Willingtown. The name is changed in 1739, when it receives a royal charter. The new name is in honor of the Earl of Wilmington, a supporter of King George I.

1739 Methodist preacher George Whitfield, a friend of English Methodist leaders John and Charles Wesley, begins preaching in Delaware. Over the next fifty years, the Methodist presence in Delaware grows dramatically.

1743 Francis Alison opens a "free school" in New London, Pennsylvania. This serves as the basis for the present-day University of Delaware.

1750 The Calverts of Maryland and the Penns of Pennsylvania settle their dispute over ownership of Delaware, with the Penn family victorious. The boundary dispute has resulted from overlaps in the charters each proprietary family had received from the British Crown.

1775–83 The American Revolution. At the war's outbreak, the Three Lower Counties are still technically part of Pennsylvania. But in July 1776, they vote for independence from Britain and become the independent state of Delaware; the new state's chief executive is called the president rather than the governor. In 1777, the state capital is established at New Castle, but British occupation of Wilmington forces the capital's removal to Dover. The only Revolutionary War battle to take place in Delaware occurs on September 3, 1777, when American troops fight Lord Cornwallis's British regulars at Cooch's Bridge, along the Christina River in Newark. The British win the battle, but the Americans succeeded in delaying the Redcoats' advance toward Philadelphia.

1784 Methodists in Delaware declare their independence from the authority of British Methodism by celebrating Communion at Barrett's Chapel in Frederica, Kent County. This action goes against the wishes of Methodist founder John Wesley; he wants Methodism to remain a movement within the Church of England, rather than become an independent church.

1787 On December 7, Delaware is the first state to ratify the Constitution and thus becomes the first state to enter the Union.

1790Oliver Evans, a native of Newport, receives the first US patent for a steam engine.

1792 Delaware adopts a new state constitution. Among other provisions, the chief executive is called a governor rather than a president.

1800 Éleuthère Irénée du Pont de Nemours, known as I. E. du Pont, son of a finance minister to King Louis XVI of France, immigrates with his family to escape the violence of the French Revolution.

1802 E. I. du Pont establishes a gunpowder factory in Delaware. This family firm grows into one of the world's largest chemical companies.

1812War of 1812. The war is fought in part over British efforts to impress, or force, American sailors into the Royal Navy. In 1813, a British fleet bombards the coastal town of Lewes, but a thousand-man Delaware force prevents any British troops from landing. During the war, the DuPont gunpowder factory provides much material to US forces.

1829 A public education system is established in Delaware by the General Assembly. That same year, the nineteen-mile Chesapeake and Delaware Canal is completed, connecting the Chesapeake Bay with the Delaware River. Ships are now able to avoid a three-hundred-mile journey around the Delmarva (Delaware-Maryland-Virginia) Peninsula in traveling from Baltimore to Philadelphia.

1830s–50s The Underground Railroad is active in Delaware, as abolitionists seek to smuggle enslaved people to freedom in the Northern states and Canada. Many of the state's Quakers, who oppose slavery on religious grounds, are active abolitionists.

1832 The first steam railroad in Delaware begins operations, reaching from New Castle to Frenchtown.

1833 The General Assembly passes a measure to establish a state college in Newark.

1834 Newark College opens. In 1843, the name is changed to Delaware College.

1859 Delaware College closes and does not reopen until 1870.

1861–65 The Civil War. Delaware, though a participant in the institution of slavery, chooses to remain in the Union. Up to twelve thousand men serve in the Union army. The Emancipation Proclamation, issued by President Lincoln in 1863, does not affect border slavery states such as Delaware and Maryland. The Thirteenth Amendment to the US Constitution, adopted in 1865, frees all enslaved people in Delaware. No major battles take place in Delaware. The du Pont family plays a leading role in supporting the Union. Their factories supply much of the Union's gunpowder, Henry du Pont serves as head of the state militia, and Samuel Francis du Pont serves as a high-ranking Navy officer.

1870s–80s Religious groups such as the Methodists and Disciples of Christ begin developing resorts on the Delaware coast. The Methodists develop Rehoboth Beach, while the Disciples of Christ build a resort at Bethany Beach.

1891 The General Assembly establishes the State College for Colored Students, now called Delaware State University. This historically Black institution is a "land-grant" school covered by the provisions of the 1890 Morrill Act.

1912 The DuPont Company is broken up by a federal antitrust suit, but the company retains its strength and influence.

1914 The Delaware Women's College is opened. It was created the previous year by an act of the General Assembly.

1914–18 World War I. The United States enters the war in 1917, and Delaware begins providing troops and war materiel. About ten thousand Delawareans serve in the Armed Forces. The DuPont Company, as in previous wars, provides the US military with much of its gunpowder. Fort Saulsbury, an Army installation, is built to guard the approach to Delaware Bay.

1919 The US government purchases the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal and turns operations over to the US Army Corps of Engineers.

1921 The General Assembly creates the University of Delaware by combining Delaware College and Women's College. The colleges retain their separate existence.

1923 The city of Wilmington establishes a deepwater port, known as the Port of Wilmington. By the outbreak of World War II, the port is handling over 500,000 tons of cargo a year.

1937 Wallace Carothers, a DuPont chemist, invents and patents the plastic known as nylon, which can be used to replace silk. The new material becomes immensely profitable as a replacement for women's silk stockings.

1941–45 World War II. Delaware companies such as DuPont produce large amounts of material for the US war effort. This includes nylon for military parachutes. Dover becomes the site of an Army Air Base (after the war known as Dover Air Force Base).

1947 The State College for Colored Students becomes Delaware State College.

1951 The state completes the Delaware Memorial Bridge across the Delaware River. This connects the state with neighboring New Jersey.

1952 Maryland completes the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, making the state's Eastern Shore (and the whole Delmarva Peninsula) far more accessible to the rest of the state. Previously, ferries were the only way for passenger traffic to cross the central part of the Bay. That same year, Dover Air Force Base receives major renovations to become a major military air transport facility. Eventually, it grows into the largest such facility on the East Coast.

1960s Black Americans in Delaware take part in the civil rights movement.

1971 The state passes the Coastal Zone Act, to protect Delaware's coastal environment.

1973 Wilmington passes the nation's first urban homesteading act, as a way to renew slum areas. Citizens can buy a house for a nominal sum, repair it, and live in it.

1977 Pierre "Pete" du Pont IV, a member of the prominent family of industrialists, is elected governor.

1993 Delaware State College becomes Delaware State University.

1995 The state purchases the Port of Wilmington from the city. To operate the facility, the state founds a management company called the Diamond State Port Corporation.

1996 The state gives official recognition to the Delaware tribe.

2001 Lieutenant Governor Ruth Ann Minner is elected the state's first woman governor. Years earlier, she had served as a secretary in the governor's office.

2008 US senator from Delaware Joseph R. Biden is selected by Democratic Party presidential candidate Barack Obama as his vice presidential running mate in the 2008 US election, which they win.

2012 President Obama and Vice President Biden are reelected to a second term in the White House.

2019 Biden announces that he is entering the 2020 presidential election race. During the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic that results in widespread lockdowns, he largely campaigns from his home in Delaware.

2020 Biden is elected the 46th president of the United States. He delivers his victory speech on November 7, 2020, in Wilmington.

2023 Delaware becomes the twenty-second state to legalize recreational marijuana.

FAMOUS PEOPLE

James Asheton Bayard Jr., 1799–1880 (Wilmington) , US senator.

Valerie Bertinelli, 1960– (Wilmington) , Actor.

Robert Montgomery Bird, 1806–54 (New Castle) , Playwright, author.

Clifford Brown, 1930–56 (Wilmington) , Jazz musician, composer.

Henry S. Canby, 1878–1961 (Wilmington) , Writer, editor.

Annie Jump Cannon, 1863–1941 (Dover) , Astronomer.

John Middleton Clayton, 1796–1856 (Dagsboro) , US senator, US secretary of state.

Nancy Jane Currie-Gregg, 1958– (Wilmington): Astronaut, engineer.

Delino DeShields, 1969– (Seaford) , Professional baseball player.

Elena Delle Donne, 1989– , Basketball player.

Henry du Pont, 1812–89 (Wilmington) , Industrialist, philanthropist.

Henry Algernon du Pont, 1838–1926 (near Wilmington) , Industrialist, US senator.

Pierre S. (Samuel) du Pont, 1870–1954 (near Wilmington) , Industrialist, president of DuPont Company and General Motors.

Pierre S. du Pont IV, 1935–2021 (Wilmington) , Governor, US representative, political analyst.

Raúl Esparza, 1970– (Wilmington) , Actor.

Oliver Evans, 1755–1819 (near Newport) , Inventor of America's first steam engine.

Duron Harmon, 1991– (Magnolia), Football player.

Henry J. Heimlich, 1920–2016 (Wilmington) , Surgeon, inventor of the Heimlich maneuver to stop choking.

Wilham Julius "Judy" Johnson, 1899–1989 (Wilmington) , Basketball player.

Thomas MacDonough, 1783–1825 (New Castle County) , Naval officer.

Stephen Marley 1972– (Wilmington) , Musician.

J. P. Marquand, 1893–1960 (Wilmington) , Novelist.

Aubrey Plaza, 1984– (Wilmington) , Actor.

Howard Pyle, 1853–1911 (Wilmington) , Artist, author.

Caesar Rodney, 1728–84 (Dover) , Revolutionary War leader, signer of Declaration of Independence, governor.

Elisabeth Shue, 1963– (Wilmington) , Actor.

George Thorogood, 1952– (Wilmington) , Rock musician.

TRIVIA

• Delaware is the nation's second-smallest state, following Rhode Island.
• Prior to the American Revolution, Delaware was not an independent colony—it was the Three Lower Counties of Pennsylvania.
• Delaware's state bird, the blue hen, served as the mascot of Delaware militia during the Revolutionary War.
• Inventor Oliver Evans, of Newport, invented and patented America's first steam engine.
• Reggae music legend Bob Marley worked for both Chrysler and Dupont in Delaware while visiting his mother in 1966. He returned to Jamaica in 1967.
• Delaware is home to the oldest-surviving Methodist church in the country, built in 1780.
• In 2012, Delaware hosted the first Firefly Music Festival. Firefly quickly became a major festival; in the first four years of its existence, it more than doubled its number of acts and attracted well-known artists from many countries.
• Delaware was designated as the first no-kill state for shelter animals in the country by the Best Friends Animal Society in 2019.

Bibliography

Crimmins, Timothy J. "Delaware: A Bicentennial History." Journal of Urban History, vol. 13, no. 1, 1986, pp. 82–91. Academic Search Premier, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=48099543&site=ehost-live&scope=site. Accessed 26 Apr. 2013.

"Delaware State Profile and Energy Estimates: Profile Overview." US Energy Information Administration, 17 Nov. 2022, www.eia.gov/state/?sid=DE. Accessed 12 Sept. 2023.

"Delaware's Personal Approach to the War." America's Civil War, vol. 24, vol. 2, 2011, pp. 11. Academic Search Premier, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=58599537&site=ehost-live&scope=site. Accessed 26 Apr. 2013.

"Delaware." Quick Facts, US Census Bureau, 1 July 2022, www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/DE/PST045222. Accessed 12 Sept. 2023.

"Delaware: 2020 Census." US Census Bureau, 25 Aug. 2021, www.census.gov/library/stories/state-by-state/delaware-population-change-between-census-decade.html. Accessed 13 Oct. 2021.

"Economic Profile for Delaware." Bureau of Economic Analysis, US Department of Commerce, 31 Mar. 2023, apps.bea.gov/regional/bearfacts/. Accessed 12 Sept. 2023.

Lanier, Gabrielle M. The Delaware Valley in the Early Republic: Architecture, Landscape, and Regional Identity. Johns Hopkins UP, 2005.

Obermeyer, Brice. Delaware Tribe in a Cherokee Nation. U of Nebraska P, 2009.

"2022 State Agriculture Overview: Delaware." US Department of Agriculture, www.nass.usda.gov/Quick‗Stats/Ag‗Overview/stateOverview.php?state=rhode%20island. Accessed 12 Sept. 2023.

"Value of Tourism in Delaware." Visit Delaware, www.visitdelaware.com/industry/tourism-statistics/. Accessed 12 Sept. 2023.

Eric Badertscher