Delaware: The First State

Delaware: The First State — page 1 — INTRODUCTION Located on the Eastern seaboard Delaware has the unique honor of being the first state to ratify the U S Constitution earning it the nickname the First State Two Delawareans John Dickinson and George Read helped draft the Constitution which was unanimously approved by the state on Dec 7 1787 a full five days before any other state While exploring the coastline north of Virginia in 1610 Captain Samuel Argall found refuge during a storm in a bay that he named in honor of the governor at Jamestown Sir Thomas West baron de la Warr or Delaware Eventually not only the bay but also the river that flowed into the bay the entire coastal area and even the Native Americans who lived there came to be known as Delaware Residents of Georgetown celebrate a unique tradition called Return Day After elections voters return to the city square where election results are read by the town crier 4 DELAWARE Delaware’s first Swedish settlers arrived aboard the Kalmar Nyckel in 1638 A replica of the ship is on display at Fort Christina Park Delaware’s flag depicts the state coat of arms in the center of a diamond upon a field of colonial blue Thomas Jefferson declared Delaware a jewel among the states which may be why one of its nicknames is the Diamond State Delaware is also known as the Blue Hen State the Peach State and Small Wonder The capital of Delaware is Dover

Delaware: The First State — page 2 — INTRODUCTION 5 Delaware lies on the Delmarva Peninsula which it shares with Maryland and part of Virginia Delaware borders Pennsylvania to the north and Maryland to the south and west Most of the state’s eastern boundary is shaped by Delaware Bay New Jersey is located on the other side of the bay The state’s southeastern boundary is the Atlantic Ocean The Delaware Memorial Bridge crosses the Delaware River and connects northern Delaware with New Jersey Southern Delaware is linked to New Jersey by the Cape May-Lewes Ferry which crosses Delaware Bay Major highways including I-95 I-295 and the New Jersey Turnpike travel through the most populated section of the state the city of Wilmington and its surrounding area in the extreme north Wilmington is a short drive from numerous major cities including Philadelphia Baltimore New York and Washington D C Delaware Location Map Capital Dover Interstate highways Scale 0 0 6 10 12 20 Mi Km Population 783,600 Size 2,026 square miles Highest point Ebright Road 448 feet Wilmington and Dover are Amtrak’s primary stops in Delaware Philadelphia International Airport is the closest major airport to Wilmington The airport is about a 25-minute drive from the city The name Amtrak is a combination of the words American and track Amtrak trains connect Delaware to many important cities along the Eastern seaboard Occupying less than 2,050 square miles Delaware is the second smallest state in the country only Rhode Island is smaller Delaware’s official state beverage is milk

Delaware: The First State — page 3 — 6 DELAWARE Delaware was ruled by several different countries before it became a state In 1638 Sweden established a permanent colony at Fort Christina in the same location as present-day Wilmington New Sweden prospered and found a lasting peace with the local Native Americans but the colony failed to grow because it was not supported by Sweden In 1655 New Sweden was taken over by the Dutch and absorbed into New Netherlands The Dutch in turn were conquered by the English in 1664 and the three counties of Delaware became part of the land given to William Penn founder of Pennsylvania in 1682 Delaware was governed from Philadelphia until the American Revolution In 1776 Delaware cast the deciding vote for the Declaration of Independence On July 1 Caesar Rodney rode more than 50 miles through a thunderstorm in the middle of the night from Dover to Independence Hall in Philadelphia Rodney arrived at the hall still wearing his spurs and voted in favor of independence from British rule The Delaware Breakwater Lighthouse in Lewes Harbor was first lit in 1885 Delaware fought for the Union in the American Civil War Of the 12,284 Delawareans who fought for the Union during the American Civil War 954 were African Americans Delaware’s state motto is Liberty and Independence

Delaware: The First State — page 4 — INTRODUCTION 7 Many of the companies that are headquartered in Delaware do the majority of their business outside the state The official state mineral is sillimanite Henry Heimlich a surgeon and inventor was born in Wilmington He developed the Heimlich maneuver which is used to stop people from choking Delaware’s state song is Our Delaware by George Hynson and William Brown Colonial blue and buff are the official state colors The colors represent those of General George Washington’s uniform The majority of Delaware’s population lives in and around Wilmington The small size of the state has made it necessary for companies in Delaware to do business with partners in other states Pennsylvania Maryland New Jersey and New York are all important business partners for Delaware Wilmington is one of several Eastern cities that form a densely populated industrial region The cities in this region which stretches from Baltimore Md to Boston Mass are an important part of the national economy Delaware’s business laws make the state attractive to companies throughout the United States It is easier and cheaper to form a company in Delaware than it is in most other states As a result Delaware has more company headquarters than any other state Delaware’s relaxed business laws have proved to be a major source of revenue for the state More than half of all Fortune 500 companies are incorporated in Delaware The Fortune 500 is an annual list of the top 500 companies in the country Wilmington is Delaware’s largest city It was originally named Willingtown after one of its founders Thomas Willing

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