Delaware State Facts & Information

Delaware, one of the South Atlantic states of the United States. It occupies part of the peninsula between Delaware Bay and Chesapeake Bay. Delaware was one of the 13 original states. Delawareans played a major role in the events that occurred during and after the American Revolution (1775-1783), and on December 7, 1787, Delaware became the first of the original 13 states to ratify the Constitution of the United States.

Delaware is divided into three counties: New Castle, Kent, and Sussex. Historically, industrialized New Castle County has contrasted with the other two counties, which have been predominantly agricultural areas. Today more than two-thirds of the population live in New Castle County, the northernmost county, in and around Wilmington, the state’s only large city. Dover, in Kent County in the center of the state, is Delaware’s capital. The history of Wilmington and of the state’s early large-scale industrial growth is, to a great extent, the history of the famous du Pont family and E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, one of the world’s largest chemical companies. Delaware is primarily an industrial state. Most of the manufacturing industries are located in New Castle County, although a number of industrial plants have been established in the two southern counties. For the most part, the south remains an agricultural area, and farmers produce a wide range of products for such urban markets as Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Baltimore, and New York City. The people of Delaware commonly denote parts of their state as either “north of the canal,” meaning in the industrialized and densely inhabited region around Wilmington, or “south of the canal,” meaning in Delaware’s rural and lightly settled farming region. The canal referred to is the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal, which effectively bisects New Castle County.

The state’s name is derived from the name of Thomas West, 3rd Baron De La Warr, Virginia’s first colonial governor. In 1610 Sir Samuel Argall, sailing for Virginia, sighted what is now called Cape Henlopen in Delaware Bay. Argall named it Cape De La Warr in honor of the governor. Although the cape itself was later renamed, the name Delaware came to be applied to the Delaware River and Delaware Bay and later to the land along the western shore of the bay and the river. Delaware’s official nickname is the First State, which commemorates Delaware’s early ratification of the U.S. Constitution. Delaware is also known as the Diamond State, because its value, like that of a diamond, is said to be out of all proportion to its small size. Another nickname, the Blue Hen State, dates from the American Revolution when the fighting spirit of the Delaware First Regiment was compared with that of their mascots, a brood of gamecocks reared by a famous blue hen. The blue hen was later designated the official state bird. The Official State Website is http://delaware.gov/.

For such a small state (only Rhode Island is smaller), Delaware has an involved history. Henry Hudson discovered Delaware Bay in 1609, but the first attempted settlement there was in 1631 by the Dutch, who were driven out by native Americans. From 1638 to 1655 Delaware was controlled by the Swedes as part of New Sweden. The Dutch regained control for the next nine years, during which time some Finns settled, as did more Dutch and some Mennonites. When New Netherland was taken over by the English, Delaware fell under the suzerainty of the Duke of York from 1664 to 1682, with the Dutch regaining control briefly in 1673-74. By deeds executed in 1682, Delaware became the “Three Lower Counties” of Pennsylvania under a proprietary system. William Penn introduced the English tradition of “hundreds” as subdivisions of counties, and Delaware is the only place where the term is still used today, mostly as a geographical description in wills, deeds, and assessment records. Delaware remained a part of Pennsylvania until the Revolutionary War but had its own assembly from 1704.

While many English came directly to Delaware, most of them, including English Quakers, migrated from Pennsylvania and Maryland. For a long time there was a dispute between Delaware and Maryland over who controlled the areas of western Kent and western and southern Sussex counties. Consequently, very few Delaware records exist for this area before 1775.

Delaware experienced no major battles during the Revolutionary War, but the British did come through on their way to Philadelphia. It has been estimated that about half the population was Loyalist, although there was not as great an exodus from the colony as there had been from New York and New Jersey. After the war, many soldiers headed south to Georgia, where they took advantage of attractive land grants.

The Dutch had imported some slaves to the area from Africa, but Maryland planters were responsible for bringing the largest number of blacks to Delaware. Mostly through manumission, the number of slaves had decreased substantially by the time of the Civil War. After the American Revolution, some French arrived from the West Indies and others came directly from France, including the famous du Pont family. The mid-nineteenth century saw the immigration of large numbers of Irish Catholics and Germans, and in the latter part of the 1800s Jews, Poles, and Italians arrived, with smaller numbers of eastern Europeans and Scandinavians. Most of these people settled in the Wilmington area

Calling itself the “First State,” Delaware was the first of the thirteen colonies to ratify the Constitution on 7 December 1787. From that time the state's development has been characterized as stable, conservative, and placid, except during the Civil War. Economically, Delaware was allied with the North, especially with its river trade and the coming of the railroads; but there was also strong sympathy with the South, particularly after the war.

Delaware was originally created as part of Pennsylvania and has long been associated with that state, mostly because it shares the commerce and transportation of the Delaware River. This has also caused major growth in the northern part of the state, with much industry developing in and around Wilmington. By the early twentieth century, over half the population and wealth of the state were concentrated in the north, where it remains today. Until recently, the southern part of the state has been more agriculturally oriented. Delaware is one of the most densely populated states.

• Newspapers & Periodicals - The Newspapers & Periodicals Collection lets you discover a wealth of information about your ancestors from many historical newspapers, magazines, and other periodicals. These types of sources can often supplement public records and provide information that is not recorded anywhere else. Here, you can learn more about your ancestor's possible daily activities by placing them in the context of their time.
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• Stories, Memories & Histories - Stories and histories compiled by others researching a person or area can be an amazing source of information about your ancestors. Not only do they generally contain dates and places of vital events like birth, marriage, and death, but they often relate stories and memories that help you really get to know the character of your ancestors.
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Delaware County List

 

Delaware has only three counties, the smallest number of any state. Most earlier records and many into the twentieth century have been transferred to the Delaware State Archives, although some counties have microfilms of transferred material. Records of land conveyance are found in the county recorder of deeds' offices. Estates are in the office of the register of wills where files are maintained from 1925. The prothonotary is the clerk with custody of such records as divorces (to 1975), and civil and criminal court matters. Choose from the counties below to view the county information. See also COLONIAL/PRE-STATEHOOD RECORDS

Delaware Discontinued Counties

 

This section provides an list of Delaware counties that no longer exist. They were established by the state, provincial, or territorial government. Most of these counties were created and disbanded in the 19th century; county boundaries have changed little since 1900 in the vast majority of states.

• Deale County: Formed in 1670 as Whorekill Co. Renamed in 1680 as Deale Co. Finally renamed as Sussex Co in 1682
• St. Jones County: Formed in 1680 and renamed to Kent Co in 1682
• Whorekill County: Formed in 1670. Renamed in 1680 as Deale Co. Finally renamed as Sussex Co in 1682