Delaware History

Before the arrival of Europeans, the area that is today the state of Delaware was home to the Unami League (also known as "Delaware") and Nanticoke Native American groups. The Unami League lived in a settled agricultural and hunting society.

The Dutch were the first Europeans to arrive in present day Delaware, and established a trading post near Lewesin 1633. However, all the settlers were wiped out within a year following a dispute with the Native Americans. In 1638, a Swedish colony was established near Wilmington. In 1651, tbe Dutch returned, established a new fort near the site of present day New Castle, and in 1655 absorbed the entire Swedish colony.

In 1664, the Dutch were evicted by the British under James, the Duke of York. William Penn wanted an outlet to the sea for his Pennsylvania province, so leased the " Lower Counties on the Delaware" from the Duke. As a result, from 1682 to 1704, Delaware and Pennsylvania had a combined General Assembly. Even after 1704, Penn and his heirs remained the Proprietors of both Delaware and Pennsylvania, and always appointed the same person as Governor for both colonies.

During the American Revolution (1775 to 1783), Delaware was initially reluctant to break with Britain. Delaware did however provide one of the premier regiments of the Continental Army, known as the "Delaware Blues" and nicknamed the "Blue Hen Chickens". Following the Revolution, Delaware was the first state to ratify the U.S. Constitution.

Delaware was founded as a slave state. Various local attempts were made to abolish slavery in the state, but all failed even though there were relatively few slaves in Delaware. Nevertheless, despite being a slave site, Delaware remained in the Union during the American Civil War (1861 to 1865), and was the only slave state not to assemble Confederate regiments or militia groups (although some of Delaware's citizens did fight on the Confederate side in Maryland or Virginia regiments).

Slavery was finally abolished in Delaware at the same time it was abolished in the country as a whole: when the 13th Amendment took effect in December 1865. After the abolition of slavery, the state legislature adopted a policy of segregation including poll tax and Jim Crow laws. Only in the mid 1950s did these restrictions begin to disappear, with the integration of the school system.

A Primary Source History of the Colony of Delaware (Primary Sources of the Thirteen Colonies and the Lost Colony)

By Aaron Raymond

Rosen Central
Paperback (64 pages; 1)

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350 Years of New Castle, Delaware: Chapters in a Town's History

Cedar Tree Books Hardcover (224 pages)	List Price: $29.95 Lowest New Price: $24.95 Lowest Used Price: $22.99 Usually ships in 24 hours (As of 15:15 Pacific 6 Oct 2008 More Info) Click Here
Product Description: This richly illustrated anthology, published in celebration of New Castle's 350th anniversary, provides an introduction to the town's significant historical heritage.

History of Delaware

By John A. Munroe

University of Delaware Press
Hardcover (304 pages)

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The Colony Of Delaware: A Primary Source History (The Primary Source Library of the Thirteen Colonies and the Lost Colony)

By Jake Miller

PowerKids Press
Library Binding (24 pages; 1)

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Wilmington: A Pictorial History

By Carol E. Hoffecker

Walsworth Pub Co
Paperback (203 pages)

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The Delaware Indians: A History

By C. A. Weslager

Rutgers University Press
Paperback (570 pages)

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Glory Days at Delaware: The Completely Unofficial Modern History of College Life in Newark, DE UD 1987 - 2007

By Darren Kane

iUniverse, Inc.
Paperback (463 pages)

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Product Description:

Presented in a “Remember that time
in college when…” format,
Glory Days at Delaware compiles
hundreds of humorous stories,
anecdotes, interviews, and pieces
of nostalgia, as contributed by
UD students from the past two decades.

Memories of every dorm, every dining hall,
every bar, and just about everything
in-between. From the,
“I totally forgot about that!” to
the, “I never knew about that!”

Featuring extended sections on the
legendary Stone Balloon and Wilburfest,
Glory Days at Delaware is the ultimate trip
down memory lane…or maybe that
should be South College Avenue!

So grab a pitcher, order some wings,
and prepare to relive your
GLORY DAYS!

Delaware: The History of Delaware Colony, 1638-1776 (13 Colonies)

By Roberta Wiener

Raintree
Hardcover (64 pages; 1)

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Product Description:
Delaware is, by their own definition, a "Japanese supersonic group [that] designs-rocks and rocks-designs." They also call themselves "Artoonists." Since 1993, the collaborative has displayed their retro-futurism across a range of contemporary products, including music CDs, CD-ROMs, commercials, magazines, T-shirts, websites, live shows, and mobile phones. Delaware is four: Masato Samata, tape recordist, vocalist, lyricist, composer, art director, and designer; Aya Honda, bassist, vocalist, composer, and designer; Morihiro Tajiri, guitarist, bassist, drummer, vocalist, composer, and recordist; and Yoshiki Watanabe, guitarist, vocalist, sound programmer, phone ringer, and composer.

A History of Delaware County, New York: A Catskill Land and Its People, 1797-2007

By Tim Dureden

Purple Mountain Press
Paperback (142 pages)

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From "a howling wilderness" to weekend retreat, this book is the first comprehensive history of Delaware County, New York, since 1949. The author follows the numerous themes, characters and events that so affect the present. Land use is at the fore of this tale of a remote upland county situated in the western Catskill Mountains, now part of the vast hinterland of New York City. Once the haunt of Native Americans, the county became home to hardy pioneer families, farmers and trades people, each group with its own particular needs to be derived from the land. Land use issues have dominated the local scene, as documented by the stores of the Anti-Rent War, the construction of the railroads and highways and eventually the construction of the reservoirs for New York's thirsty millions. More than 120 illustrations are included.

HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY, N.Y., WITH ILLUSTRATIONS, BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES AND PORTRAITS OF SOME PIONEERS AND PROMINENT RESIDENTS

By Various

W.W. Munsell & Co.
Hardcover

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