All About Culture and Customs of Delaware, History of the Most Beloved City of the USA

Delaware being Americas very first State may be small, but has quite a lots of story to tell between its stages of development.

Delaware History and Culture

Sailing under the Dutch flag, Henry Hudson was given credits for the discovery of Delaware in 1609, of which the following year Capt. Samuel Argali of Virginia, named Delaware for his colony’s governor, Baron De La Warr. The Dutch were the first Europeans to occupy then land in Delaware, in 1609, where they established posts (Fort Wihelmus – now Burlington Island) in 1624 for trade with Local Native American, under the auspices of the Dutch West India Company, based on the 1609 explorations of Henry Hudson. However, their culture is still apparent in seaside towns like Lewes and New Castle, which both dates back to the 17th century.

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The Swedes began an attempt to colonize Delaware, by wrestling control from the Dutch West India Trading Company. The Swedish colonization began in Fort Christina (now Wilmington) in 1638 by claiming possession of the western side of the Delaware River, saying he had found no European settlement there. The Swedes intended to actually bring settlers to their outpost and begin a colony, Unlike the Dutch West India Company.

The Dutch settlement Zwaanendael (now Lewes) was soon destroyed in a war with the Native Americans. Though the Dutch lost the war, they never gave up their claim to the land, and in 1651, the leadership of Peter Stuyvesant, built Fort Casmir, now New Castle. Three years later, in 1654, the Swedish governor, captured Fort Casmir from the Dutch. Capturing the Fort Casmir ended up being devastating miscalculation for the Swedish as the next year, a vengeful Stuyvesant led another Dutch expedition to the Delaware River, attacking all Swedish communities and agressively ended the New Sweden colony.

Not to long after the ousting the Swedish , the English laid claim to Delaware, led by James, the Duke of York and brother of King Charles II, forcibly removing the Dutch from the sit of power of both the Delaware and Hudson rivers, leaving the Duke of York proprietary authority in the entire area.

During the American Revolution, Delaware was among the thirteen colonies that revolted against the English Crown. After the revolution began in 1776, the three countries (Kent, Sussex and New Castle) became known as “The Delaware State” (Delaware) and in 1776; the colonies won their independence leading to the creation of the United State Constitution in 1787. Delaware was the first State to ratify the document, giving the nickname of the “The First State”.

However, Delaware being a slave state, during the civil war sided with the union but did not abolish slavery as majority in the north did after winning the war. In addition, did the state vote against the 13th amendment that successfully abolished slavery nationwide in 1865.

Delaware is home to various famous Wyoming Natives and Residents such as the Industrialist El du Pont, founder the young United States’ largest gunpowder factory emigrated from France to Delaware in 1800. His DuPont firm (now the world’s fourth largest chemical company) manufactured gunpowder’s and chemicals at a plant near Wilmington. Oliver Evans (inventor), William Julius “Judy” Johnson (baseball player), J.P Marquand (novelist), Joe Biden (First Delaware senator elected to the vice presidency of the United States), to mention a few.