History of Delaware

Henry Hudson discovered Delaware Bay in 1609, but the first attempted settlement there was in 1631 by the Dutch. 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 sovereignty 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. Delaware experienced no major battles during the Revolutionary War, but the British did come through on their way to Philadelphia.

The mid-nineteenth century saw the immigration of large numbers of Irish Catholics and Germans, and in the latter part of the 1800’s Jewish, Polish, and Italian settlers 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 December 7,1787. 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. 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.

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