Delaware,
One of the
Middle Atlantic States, is, next to
Rhode Island, the smallest State in the
Union.
Its southern boundary is a line drawn due west from the
Atlantic on lat. 38° 28′ N., half-way to the
Chesapeake Bay.
Its western boundary is a line drawn north from this point, tangent to a circle having a radius of 12 miles and with
New Castle as its centre.
An arc of this circle forms the northern boundary of the
State, and separates it from
Pennsylvania in about lat. 39° 50′.
Delaware River and Bay separate if from
New Jersey on the east, and
Maryland lies to the south and west.
Area, 2,050 square miles, in three counties.
Population, 1890, 168,493; 1900, 184,735.
Capital,
Dover.
Henry Hudson discovers the
Delaware River......Aug. 28, 1609
Lord de la Warr, governor of
Virginia, enters the bay called by his name......1610
Samuel Godyn, a director in the Dutch West India Company, purchases 16 Dutch square miles from the natives, at the mouth of the
Delaware......July 25, 1630
David
Petersen de Vries makes a small settlement at the Hoorn-kill, now
Lewes, just within the entrance to
Delaware Bay, and calls it Swanendael......March, 1631
De Vries having left the colony soon after, returns to find it destroyed by the Indians; all the settlers killed......Dec. 5, 1632
Owners of Swanendael transfer their interest in the property to the directors of the Dutch West India Company......Feb. 7, 1635
First permanent settlement of Europeans in
Delaware by Swedes under
Peter Minuit, a former director of the Dutch West India Company at
Manhattan.
They locate at
Christiana, within the present limits of
Wilmington, build a fort and erect a church within its walls, and name the territory “New Sweden” ......March, 1638
Minuit buys from five chiefs the
Minquas territory on west side of the
Delaware, from Bombay Hook to the river
Schuylkill, with no western boundary specified......March 29, 1638
Protest against
Swedish settlement by
William Kieft,
director-general of the New Netherlands, on claim of prior possession by the
Dutch......May 6, 1638
Peter Minuit having been drowned in a storm at sea off the
West Indies,
Lieut. Peter Hollender, commissioned governor of New Sweden, arrives with new immigrants at
Christiana just as the colony had resolved to break up......April 11, 1640
Dutch settlement made a few miles from
Christiana under a hereditary fief grant from the crown of
Sweden......Nov. 2, 1640
Johan Printz, a Swede, appointed governor of New Sweden, arrives at
Christiana with two vessels of war......Feb. 15, 1643
Fifth
Swedish expedition arrives at
Christiana......March 11, 1644
Dutch States-General and West India Company secure from the Indians a deed to all lands between
Christiana Creek and Canarosse, the same which had been sold to the Swedes by the Indians, and erect
Fort Casimir, now
New Castle......July 19, 1651
Governor Printz, returning home, appoints his son-in-law,
Johan Pappegoia, governor of the colony......October, 1652
Johan Claudii Rising, arriving at
Fort Casimir, in the ship
Eagle, direct from
Sweden, with reinforcements for the colony in New Sweden, demands its surrender, takes the fort without bloodshed, and renames it
Fort Trinity......May, 1654
Vice-Governor Pappegoia returning to
Sweden soon, Rising assumes supreme authority as director-general of New Sweden......1654
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Gov. Peter Stuyvesant of
Manhattan captures
forts Trinity and Christiana, sends to
Europe all Swedes refusing allegiance to
Holland, and brings the colony under
Dutch rule......Sept. 16-25, 1655
Governor Rising and companions embark for
Sweden on the
De Waag, and bid farewell to
Delaware......Oct. 1, 1655
Stuyvesant commissions
Johan Paul Jaquet governor of the
Dutch colony on the
Delaware, who selects
Fort Casimir as his residence......Nov. 29, 1655
Swedes arriving on the ship
Mercurius, not knowing of the change in government, attempt to ascend the river and land, but are dismissed by the
Dutch without bloodshed......March 24, 1656
Governor-general and council give seventy-five deeds for land, chiefly for lots in New Amstel, now
New Castle.
The first made......April 12, 1656
Dutch West India Company transfers to the city of
Amsterdam Fort Casimir and the adjacent territory of New Amstel, which becomes known as the Colony of the
City......Aug. 16, 1656
Jaquet is removed for mismanagement, and
Jacob Alrich appointed in
Holland as governor of New Amstel......April, 1657
William Beekman appointed vice-governor of the Colony of the
Company, with headquarters at
Altena, now
Wilmington,......Oct. 28, 1658
Beekman secures a deed of land from the Indians, and erects a fort at the Hoorn-kill......May 23, 1659
Governor Alrich dies;
Alexander Hinoyosa succeeds......Dec. 30, 1659
Colony of the
Company surrenders its rights to the Colony of the
City......Feb. 7, 1663
Colony passes into British control under the
Duke of
York......Oct. 1, 1664
New Amstel surrenders to
Sir Robert Carr, sent to subject the country by Charles II., and called
New Castle......Nov. 3, 1664
Swedish church erected at Crane-hook 1 1/2 miles from Fort Christiana......1667
Temporary council of Deputy-
Governor Carr and six others, swearing allegiance to the
Duke of
York, established at
New Castle......1668
Konigsmarke, better known as the “Long
Finn,” instigating rebellion against the
Duke of
York in
Delaware, is arrested and imprisoned in New York; afterwards transported to the Barbadoes......Dec. 20, 1669
George Fox, the Friend, holds a large meeting in
New Castle......1672
New Castle incorporated and a constable's court erected......May, 1672
Anthony Clove appointed governor of
Delaware under the
Dutch, who retake New York......Aug. 12, 1673
By treaty of
Westminster,
Delaware reverts to the
English, and
Sir Edmund Andros reappoints magistrates who had been removed by the
Dutch......1674
William Penn arrives at
New Castle with deed from
Duke of
York for a circle of 12 miles around
New Castle, and lands between this tract and the sea......Oct. 28, 1682
Act of union and naturalization passed at the first Assembly in Upland (now
Chester, Pa.), annexing to
Pennsylvania the three lower counties on the
Delaware,
New Castle,
Kent, and
Sussex......Dec. 7, 1682
Lords of trade and plantations decide in favor of
Penn against Lord Baltimore's claim to
Delaware......1685
Delaware, under its charter from
Penn, forms a legislative Assembly; first meeting at
New Castle......1703
Willingtown, now
Wilmington, laid out by Thomas Willing......October, 1731
After twenty years of litigation the boundaries of
Delaware are defined......1733
James Adams introduces printing into
Delaware, publishing at
Wilmington, for six months, the
Wilmington Courant......1761
Thomas McKean and
Caesar Rodney sent as delegates to the first Colonial Congress at New York......Oct. 7, 1765
Caesar Rodney chosen commissioner to erect State-house and public buildings in
Dover......1772
Thomas McKean, George Read, and
Caesar Rodney elected delegates to the first Continental Congress......1774
Assembly unanimously approves resolution of Continental Congress of May 15, and overturns the proprietary government, substituting the name of the province on all occasions for that of the
King, and directs the delegates to vote on independence according to their own judgment......June 15, 1776
Convention at
New Castle frames a new
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constitution, assumes the name “The Delaware State,” and designates
Dover as capital......Aug. 27, 1776
Evening after
battle of Brandywine,
President McKinley captured by a party of British; George Read, speaker of Assembly, succeeds him......Sept. 12, 1777
Thomas McKean, of
Delaware, elected
President of Continental Congress......July 10, 1781
Richard Basset,
Gunning Bedford, Jr., Jacob Broom,
John Dickinson, and George Read sign the
Constitution of the United States as representatives from
Delaware......Sept. 17, 1787
Delaware first State to adopt the federal Constitution, and without amendments......Dec. 7, 1787
New constitution, framed by a convention at
New Castle, changes the name to “The
State of Delaware,” and goes into operation without submission to the people......June, 1792
Act appropriating receipts from marriage and tavern licenses for a school fund......1796
James A. Bayard, of
Delaware, appointed minister plenipotentiary to
France......Feb. 19, 1801
Du Pont powder-mills near
Wilmington established by
Eleuthere Irenee Du Pont de Nemours......1802
Caesar Rodney, of
Delaware, appointed
Attorney-General of
United States......Jan. 20, 1807
James A. Bayard, one of the negotiators of the treaty of
Ghent, signed......Dec. 24, 1814
Caesar Rodney appointed minister plenipotentiary to
Buenos Ayres......Jan. 27, 1823
Act passed establishing free schools......1829
Chesapeake and Delaware Canal completed at cost of $2,250,000......1829
Locomotive introduced on
New Castle Railroad......1831
Louis McLane, of
Delaware, appointed
United States Secretary of the Treasury......Aug. 8, 1831
State constitution revised by a convention of thirty delegates at
Dover......Nov. 8, 1831
Wilmington made a city......1832
New Castle and Frenchtown Railroad, 16 1/2 miles long, completed......1832
Louis McLane appointed
United States Secretary of State......May 29, 1833
Explosion of 5,000 lbs. of powder at
Du Pont's powder-mills,
Wilmington......April 18, 1847
Title to
Pea Patch Island, derived from
Delaware by
United States and from
New Jersey by
James Humphrey, many years in litigation, awarded to
United States by
Hon. John Sargeant, referee......Jan. 15, 1848
John Middleton Clayton, of
Delaware, negotiates the Clayton-
Bulwer treaty with the
British government......April, 1850
A new constitution framed and submitted to the people, but rejected......Oct. 11, 1853
Amendment to constitution changing day of State elections......Jan. 30, 1855
Henry Dickinson, commissioner from
Mississippi, invites the
State to join the
Confederacy; proposition rejected unanimously by the
House and by a majority of the Senate......Jan. 3, 1861
Delaware declares for the
Union......April 15, 1861
Delaware added to the Military Department of Washington......April 19, 1861
Governor Burton calls for volunteers for United States army, and obtains a regiment of about 775 three-months' men. (Subsequently two regiments of about 1,000 each were enlisted for the war)......April 23, 1861
A peace convention at
Dover resolves against the war and for a peaceable recognition of the
Confederacy......June 27, 1861
Delaware raises its quota for volunteer army, under calls of July and August, without drafting; in all about 5,000 men furnished by the
State......1862
Governor Cannon undertakes military supervision for the
United States of election for
Congressman; opposition in public meeting at
New Castle decide not to vote, as a protest against the interference......Nov. 17, 1863
Delaware creates her first State debt by issuing bonds for the sum of $1,000,000 for obtaining substitutes for the draft......1864
Equal rights convention held at
Wilmington......Sept. 4, 1864
General tax act passed, including corporation tax on railroad capital stock, net earnings, and rolling stock......April, 1869
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Woman's suffrage convention at
Wilmington......November, 1869
Ratification of Fifteenth Amendment celebrated by colored people......April 14, 1870
New Castle, with a population of 2,300, incorporated as a city......1875
School bill passed; board of education to consist of the president of Delaware College,
secretary of State, and State editor......1875
Act passed imposing a fine on any person taking part in any political torchlight parade......1881
High license bill passed by legislature......1889
Pillory and whipping for female convicts abolished......1889
Monument over grave of
Caesar Rodney, 1728-84, member of Continental Congress, signer of
Declaration of Independence, and president (governor) of the
State, unveiled......Oct. 30, 1889
A secret-ballot law passed, and the governor made president of the State board of education instead of the president of Delaware College at session of the legislature......Jan. 6–May 16, 1891
Ex-Gov. John W. Hall dies at
Frederica......Jan. 23, 1892
Inland waterway between
Lewes and
Chincoteague Bay, 75 miles long, begun......1893
Two hundred and fiftieth anniversary of Old Swedish Church celebrated......June, 1893
Thomas F. Bayard dies at
Dedham, Mass.......Sept. 28, 1898
Deadlock in senatorial election not broken......1901
District of Columbia
