Delaware,
The first of the thirteen original States that ratified the federal Constitution; takes its name from
Lord De la Warr (
Delaware), who entered the bay of that name in 1610, when he was governor of
Virginia.
It had been discovered by
Hudson in 1609.
In 1629
Samuel Godyn, a director of the Dutch West India Company, bought of the Indians a tract of land near the mouth of the
Delaware; and the next year
De Vries, with twenty colonists from
Holland, settled near the site of
Lewes.
The colony was destroyed by the natives three years afterwards, and the Indians had sole possession of that district until 1638, when a colony of Swedes and Finns
landed on
Cape Henlopen, and purchased the lands along the bay and river as far north as the falls at
Trenton (see
New Sweden). They built Fort Christiana near the site of
Wilmington.
Their settlements were mostly planted within the present limits of
Pennsylvania.
The
Swedes were conquered by the
Dutch of
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New Netherland in 1655, and from that time until 1664, when New Netherland was conquered by the
English, the territory was claimed by the
Dutch, and controlled by them.
Then Lord Baltimore, proprietor of
Maryland, claimed all the territory on the west side of
Delaware Bay, and even to lat. 40°; and settlers from
Maryland attempted to drive away the settlers from the present
State of Delaware.
When
William Penn obtained a grant of
Pennsylvania, he was very desirous of owning the land on
Delaware Bay to the sea, and procured from the
Duke of
York a release of all his title and claim to
New Castle and 12 miles around it, and to the land between that tract and the sea; and in the presence of all the settlers he produced his deeds (October, 1682), and formally accepted the surrender of the territory.
Lord Baltimore pressed his claim, but in 1685 the
Lords of Trade and Plantations made a decision in
Penn's favor.
A compromise afterwards adjusted all conflicting claims.
The tracts which now constitute the
State of Delaware,
Penn called “The
Territories,” or “Three Lower counties on the
Delaware.”
They were governed as a part of
Pennsylvania for about twenty
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63]
years afterwards, and each county had six delegates in the legislature.
Then
Penn allowed them a separate legislature; but the colony was under the governor of
Pennsylvania until 1776, when the inhabitants declared it an independent State.
A constitution was adopted by a convention of the people of the three counties—
New Castle,
Kent, and
Sussex —Sept. 20, 1776.
A State government was organized, and
John McKinley was elected its first governor.
In 1792 a second constitution was framed and adopted.
Although
Delaware was a slave State, it refused to secede at the outbreak of the
Civil War; and, though it assumed a sort of neutrality, it furnished several regiments of volunteers for the
Union army.
In all the wars
Delaware patriotically furnished its share of men and money for the public defence.
In 1897 the
State had an assessed property valuation of $77,632,079; and in 1899 had assets of $164,993 in excess of all liabilities.
The population in 1890 was 168,493; in 1900, 184,735.
When
Howe entered
Philadelphia (September, 1777) the
Americans still held control of the
Delaware River below that city.
On
Mud Island, near the confluence of the
Schuylkill and
Delaware, was built Fort Mifflin.
On the
New Jersey shore, opposite, at Red Bank, was Fort Mercer, a strong redoubt, well furnished with heavy artillery.
At Billingsport, on the same shore, 3 miles lower down, were extensive but unfinished works designed to guard some obstructions in the river there.
Other formidable obstructions were placed in the river below forts Mifflin and Mercer, in the form of chevaux-de-frise—sunken crates of stones, with heavy spears of iron-pointed timber, to receive and pierce the bows of vessels.
Besides these, there were floating batteries on the river.
See
Mercer, Fort;
Mifflin, Fort.
governors of
Delaware: English colonial.
From 1664 up to 1682, under the government of New
York; and from 1683 up to 1773, under the proprietary government of
Pennsylvania.
