Dover Motor Speedway, also known as the Monster Mile, is one of only 10 tracks in the nation to have hosted 100 or more NASCAR Cup Series races. Prominent Delawareans include the du Pont family of politicians and businesspersons, and current United States president Joe Biden, whose family moved to Delaware during his childhood, and who later became a senator representing the state. Delaware is one of five U.S. states (Maine, Vermont, West Virginia, Wyoming) that do not have a single city with a population over 100,000 as of the 2010 census. Tax Center - Guides to Services - State of Delaware A 3-year-old Lewes, Delaware, boy's enthusiasm for life is aiding in his recovery after he lost his lower leg in a lawnmower accident earlier this month. "[citation needed], Beginning in the late nineteenth century, the Wilmington area grew into a manufacturing center. This article is about the U.S. state. Penn established representative government and briefly combined his two possessions under one General Assembly in 1682. Governors. Delaware is home to First State National Historical Park, a National Park Service unit composed of historic sites across the state including the New Castle Court House, Green, and Sheriff's House, Dover Green, Beaver Valley, Fort Christina, Old Swedes' Church, John Dickinson Plantation, and the Ryves Holt House. Investment in manufacturing in the city grew from $5.5million in 1860 to $44million in 1900. By 1860, the largest slaveholder owned 16 slaves. The state is divided into three counties, having the lowest number of counties of any state;[b] from north to south, they are New Castle County, Kent County, and Sussex County. John Smith also shows two Iroquoian tribes, the Kuskarawock and Tockwogh, living north of the Nanticokethey may have held small portions of land in the western part of the state before migrating across the Chesapeake Bay. [140] Among these roads, Sussex (county road) 236 is among the most problematic.[140]. In addition local Methodists and Quakers encouraged slaveholders to free their slaves following the American Revolution, and many did so in a surge of individual manumissions for idealistic reasons. One major branch of the U.S. Interstate Highway System, Interstate95 (I-95), crosses Delaware southwest-to-northeast across New Castle County. Compared, it would fit into Belgium almost five times. [citation needed], It has been noted that the tar and chip composition of secondary roads in Sussex County makes them more prone to deterioration than are the asphalt roadways in almost the rest of the state. In 2020, Delaware native (and Barack Obama's former Vice President and running mate) Joe Biden headed the Democratic ticket; he carried his home state by just shy of 19% en route to a national 4.5% win.[155]. New Castle County has not voted Republican in a presidential election since 1988, and has given Democrats over 60% of its vote in every election from 2004 on. In 1651 the Dutch, reinvigorated by the leadership of Peter Stuyvesant, established a fort at present-day New Castle, and in 1655 they conquered the New Sweden colony, annexing it into the Dutch New Netherland. [131], As of 2011[update], the Delaware Department of Education had authorized the founding of 25 charter schools in the state, one of them being all-girls. Gambling provides significant revenue to the state. More than half of all U.S. publicly traded companies, and 63% of the Fortune 500, are incorporated in Delaware. Lists the bordering states for each of the 50 states in the US. The Diamond State is a jewel of a place to live with 974,000 people calling it home. The A.U.M.P. Moving to Delaware - Guides to Services - State of Delaware As they approached the 12th . Representatives are elected to two-year terms, while senators are elected to four-year terms. Delaware: December 7, 1787 . On December 7, 1787, Delaware became the first state to ratify the Constitution of the United States, and has since been known as The First State. [36], Delaware benefited greatly from World War I because of the state's large gunpowder industry. Delaware is bounded to the north by Pennsylvania; to the east by the Delaware River, Delaware Bay, New Jersey, and the Atlantic Ocean; and to the west and south by Maryland. Its liberal incorporation laws and a Court of Chancery that specializes in the most-complex issues of corporate governance and finance have encouraged many American and foreign businesses to make Delaware their nominal home. When Did Slavery Really End in the North? Civil Discourse After the Acquisition: Delaware State and Wesley College They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. [15] Since the turn of the 20th century, Delaware is also a de facto onshore corporate haven, in which by virtue of its corporate laws, the state is the domicile of over half of all New York Stock Exchange-listed business and over three-fifths of the Fortune 500. Pennsylvania is the second state, after Delaware, to ratify the Constitution of the United States of America. Fax: (302) 739-5831. Delaware has 2 million chickens spread out across all three counties of the second smallest state. Nickname (s): The First State; The Diamond State; Blue Hen State; Small Wonder Motto: Liberty and Independence Tree: American Holly Flower: Peach Blossom Bird: Blue Hen Interesting Facts The. Vehicle Services Registration - Division of Motor Vehicles [74] The center of population of Delaware is in New Castle County, in the town of Townsend. In 1776, soon after Delaware and the other Thirteen Colonies declared independence from Britain, the state adopted its first state constitution.It created the office of President of Delaware, a chief executive to be chosen by . [101], According to a 2020 study by Kiplinger, Delaware had the seventeenth most millionaires per capita in the United States; altogether, there were 25,937 such individuals. Saturday, July 1, 2023 First State Heritage Park's First Saturday. [96][not specific enough to verify] On July 1, 2013, same-sex marriage was legalized, and all civil unions would be converted into marriages. Despite the heat, she was grinning from ear to earshe and her team had just won the Atlantic Eastern Conference championship game. Most of the boundary between Delaware and Pennsylvania was originally defined by an arc extending 12 miles (19.3km) from the cupola of the courthouse in the city of New Castle. [citation needed] Delaware essentially freed the few slaves who were still in bondage shortly after the Civil War[further explanation needed] but rejected the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments to the Constitution; the 13th Amendment was rejected on February 8, 1865, the 14th Amendment was rejected on February 8, 1867, and the 15th Amendment was rejected on March 18, 1869. Note: there is a glitch surrounding the display of Delaware's religious tradition data on, "The First to Ratify" would be more accurate, as the beginnings of the states themselves date back to the Declaration of Independence, celebrated July 4, 1776, when what was to become the State of Delaware was still the three lower counties of Pennsylvania with the governor in Philadelphia, and not establishing independence from that body until, Maryland and Delaware identify as Northeast, Pennsylvania Railroad local division timetable, 1965, All named trains were gone by the end of 1957, Learn how and when to remove this template message, United States Declaration of Independence, Constitutional Convention (United States), List of U.S. states by date of admission to the Union, African Union First Colored Methodist Protestant Church and Connection, 1968 in response to the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr, several weekly, monthly and online publications, New Castle Court House, Green, and Sheriff's House, Times Higher Education World University Rankings, American Public Transportation Association, Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Freedom of information in the United States State legislation, Supreme Court ruling to overturn the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992, "State Area Measurements and Internal Point Coordinates", "Elevations and Distances in the United States", "Growth in U.S. Population Shows Early Indication of Recovery Amid COVID-19 Pandemic", "State of Delaware Community Characteristics", "Delaware's new tourism brand: Endless Discoveries", "Mid-Atlantic Home: MidAtlantic Information Office: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics", "Census Regions and Divisions of the United States", "The Growth of Delaware's Antebellum Free African Community", "Historic black school remains a fond memory", "The story of how Delaware got its shape", "Treaty to resolve pending boundary differences and maintain the Rio Grande and Colorado River as the international boundary", "Enigma, Georgia: Mystery of the South's Circular Towns", "Extreme and Mean Elevations by State and Other Area", "A Summary of the Geologic History of Delaware", "Terrestrial Ecoregions of the World: A New Map of Life on Earth", 10.1641/0006-3568(2001)051[0933:TEOTWA]2.0.CO;2, Historical Population Change Data (19102020), "Kent County defies slower, lower nickname", "Home: Geographic Information: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics", "Regional Climate Centers National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) formerly known as National Climatic Data Center (NCDC)", "Northeast Regional Office National Historic Landmarks Program", "Population and Population Centers by State", "The 2022 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report (AHAR) to Congress", "Lenape Indian Tribe looks to reclaim historic Delaware land, establish sovereignty", "Nanticoke tribe converges for 40th powwow in Millsboro", Historical Census Statistics on Population Totals By Race, 1790 to 1990, and By Hispanic Origin, 1970 to 1990, For The United States, Regions, Divisions, and States, "LGBT Percentage Highest in D.C., Lowest in North Dakota", "BREAKING: Delaware To Become 11th State With Marriage Equality", "2022 American Values Atlas: Religious Tradition", "The Association of Religion Data Archives | State Membership Report", "In 'very religious' USA, Gallup sees Delaware residents as 'moderately' soby 1 percent", "Delaware housing: Home prices slide in all three counties; sales in NCCo, Kent down from year ago", "Millionaires in America 2020: All 50 States Ranked", "National Vulcanized Fibre Corp. site in Yorklyn", "AstraZeneca lays off workers at Delaware headquarters", "Delaware officials concerned about AstraZeneca, DuPont threats", "DuPont to cut 1,700 jobs in Delaware in January", "DuPont merger called 'catastrophic' for Delaware", "DuPont merger: A 'sad day' for Delaware", "DuPont-Dow merger 'catastrophic' for Delaware", "Chemours will lay off 400, including some in Delaware", "Delaware 2007 Fiscal NotebookState General Fund Revenues by Category (F.Y. Delaware Rankings | US News Best States Currently, Democrats hold all positions of authority in Delaware, as well as majorities in the state Senate and House. People of Hispanic or Latino origin, of any race, made up 8.2% of the population. Reflecting new immigrant populations, an Islamic mosque has been built in the Ogletown area, and a Hindu temple in Hockessin. [68][69][70][71][72][73], Delaware is the sixth most densely populated state, with a population density of 442.6 people per square mile, 356.4 per square mile more than the national average, and ranking 45th in population. Delaware Pictures and Facts - National Geographic Kids Dover Motor Speedway is a race track in Dover, and Frawley Stadium in Wilmington is the home of the Wilmington Blue Rocks, a Minor League Baseball team. 1:17 A college women's lacrosse team feels traumatized after its charter bus was stopped by police while traveling through Georgia, an incident that has left the school's president "incensed.". [111], The state's largest employers are:[citation needed], Since the mid-2000s, Delaware has seen the departure of the state's automotive manufacturing industry (General Motors Wilmington Assembly and Chrysler Newark Assembly), the corporate buyout of a major bank holding company (MBNA), the departure of the state's steel industry (Evraz Claymont Steel), the bankruptcy of a fiber mill (National Vulcanized Fiber),[112] and the diminishing presence of AstraZeneca in Wilmington. It still has a substantial presence in the state. At the time, state law prohibited money raised from white taxpayers from being used to support the state's schools for black children. In the year following the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, more than a dozen states across the country have banned or attempted to ban abortion. In 2009, DelDOT maintained 13,507 lane-miles, totaling 89 percent of the state's public roadway system, the rest being under the supervision of individual municipalities. The Delaware people, a name used by Europeans for Lenape people indigenous to the Delaware Valley, also derive their name from the same source. It is the first of several signed bike routes planned in Delaware. The 1 . Therefore, Delaware commercial airline passengers most frequently use Philadelphia International Airport (PHL), Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) and Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) for domestic and international transit. However, by 1704 the Province of Pennsylvania had grown so large their representatives wanted to make decisions without the assent of the Lower Counties, and the two groups of representatives began meeting on their own, one at Philadelphia, and the other at New Castle. [80] A band of the Nanticoke tribe of American Indians today resides in Sussex County and is headquartered in Millsboro, Sussex County, Delaware.[81]. 10 Things to Know About Delaware - U.S. News & World Report List of governors of Delaware - Wikipedia Moving To Delaware? (The Truth About Living Here) - ISoldMyHouse.com Today marks Avelo's inaugural flight @FlyILG, the opening of our fourth base, and the return of commercial air service to Delaware! Appalled by the condition of the black schools, du Pont donated four million dollars to construct 86 new school buildings.[130]. This guide contains some of what you need to move to Delaware, including resources for driving, voting, working, housing, school, exploring Delaware, and more. Multiple short-line railroads provide freight service in Delaware. No standalone television stations are based solely in Delaware. Church. U.S.40 is a primary eastwest route, connecting Maryland with New Jersey. Delaware State Police Master Corporal Passes Just Two Weeks After Salisbury's CBS affiliate, WBOC-TV, maintains bureaus in Dover and Milton. Business and occupational license tax rates range from 0.096% to 1.92%, depending on the category of business activity. Delaware was one of the Thirteen Colonies that took part in the American Revolution. The British remained in control of the Delaware River for much of the rest of the war, disrupting commerce and providing encouragement to an active Loyalist portion of the population, particularly in Sussex County. This application applies to owners of cell phones within the state of Delaware. The rest of the state comprises the northeastern corner of the Delmarva Peninsula, which Delaware shares with Maryland and Virginia (hence its name). New Castle lawyer Thomas McKean denounced the Stamp Act in the strongest terms, and Kent County native John Dickinson became the "Penman of the Revolution". Penn and his heirs remained proprietors of both and always appointed the same person Governor for their Province of Pennsylvania and their territory of the Lower Counties. This far exceeds the national average (20 percent) for state department of transportation maintenance responsibility.[138]. There, navigable water brought shipping close to falls that provided power for manufacturing. Delaware's largest city is Wilmington, while the state capital is Dover, the second-largest city in the state. Two Auxiliary Interstate Highway routes are also located in the state. Following the Battle of Brandywine, Wilmington was occupied by the British, and State President John McKinly was taken prisoner. Delaware, located mainly within the Atlantic Coastal Plain, is second only to Florida for having the lowest average elevation. The economies of these colonies were chiefly based on labor-intensive tobacco and increasingly dependent on African slaves because of a decline in working class immigrants from England. A 2014 estimate by the Pew Research Center found that members of Protestant churches accounted for almost half of the population,[99] though the Roman Catholic Church was the largest single denomination in the state. It is the second smallest state in the United States. Rehoboth Beach, together with the towns of Lewes, Dewey Beach, Bethany Beach, South Bethany, and Fenwick Island, comprise Delaware's beach resorts. Climate [146][147] This put an end to an eight-month period during which Delaware had no scheduled air service, one of several since 1991. The remaining western border runs slightly east of due south from its intersection with the arc. The states main port, at Wilmington, is located at the confluence of the Delaware River and the Christina, one of its tributaries. 6 likely to sell for $1 million", "State of Delaware Department of Transportation", "Projects: Delaware Bicycle Facility Master Plan", "Anything Once: On the road, taking plenty of pot shots", "The only US state without commercial airline service is getting 5 new routes to Florida next year see the full list", "Avelo Airlines on Twitter: " Hello, Delaware! The University of Delaware's football team has a large following throughout the state, with the Delaware State University and Wesley College teams also enjoying a smaller degree of support. The dominant factor in Delaware's political shift has been the strong Democratic trend in heavily urbanized New Castle County, home to 55% of Delaware's population. Whether you start at the regal Du Pont family estates in the north or the family-friendly ocean resorts in the south, Delaware . It produced nylon in the state after the war and began investments into General Motors. The Delaware House has teed up a vote on a bill that would give businesses a vote in the town of Seaford, Delaware a proposal with . Delaware State Facts - What state has more chickens than humans? Those enslaved in Delaware remained in bondage until December 6 . 3-year-old Delaware boy recovering after lawnmower severed his leg After a relatively brief adherence to the Democratic Solid South following the US Civil War, Delaware became a Republican-leaning state from 1896 through 1948, voting for losing Republicans Charles Evans Hughes in 1916, Herbert Hoover in 1932, and Thomas Dewey in 1948. [citation needed] Delaware's segregation was written into the state constitution, which, while providing at Article X, Section 2,[citation needed] that "no distinction shall be made on account of race or color", nonetheless required that "separate schools for white and colored children shall be maintained. The state was named after Delaware Bay, which in turn derived its name from Thomas West, 3rd Baron De La Warr (15771618), the first governor of the Colony of Virginia. Delaware.gov - Official Website of the State of Delaware Only one major break, Indian River Inlet, occurs along the 23-mile (37-km) length of the beach. The Wedge of land between the northwest part of the arc and the Maryland border was claimed by both Delaware and Pennsylvania until 1921, when Delaware's claim was confirmed. The transitional climate of Delaware supports a wide variety of vegetation. [135][136] Funding for DelDOT projects is drawn, in part, from the Delaware Transportation Trust Fund, established in 1987 to help stabilize transportation funding; the availability of the Trust led to a gradual separation of DelDOT operations from other Delaware state operations. Senators: Tom Carper (Democrat) Chris Coons (Democrat) See all facts & stats As of 2018, Delaware is the 45th largest state in the U.S.A. based on population, with a census declaring the population at 961,939 people. 1,018,396 Governor: John Carney (Democrat) Date Of Admission: Dec. 7, 1787 2 U.S. On March 4, 1789, the general government under the Articles was replaced with the federal government under the present Constitution. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). [25] Under slavery law, children took the social status of their mothers, so children born to white women were free, regardless of their paternity, just as children born to enslaved women were born into slavery. Until the mid-20th century, farmlands, woodlands, streams, and ponds, interspersed by occasional villages, made up most of the states landscape to the south of Wilmington. As Delaware has no franchises in the major American professional sports leagues, many Delawareans follow either Philadelphia or Baltimore teams. The holiday celebrates June 19, 1865 when federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas bringing word that the Civil War had ended and any enslaved people were now freed via President Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation. Small portions of Delaware are also situated on the eastern side of the Delaware River sharing land boundaries with New Jersey. In the early 1920s, Pierre S. du Pont served as president of the state board of education. [16][17] It came probably from a Norman lieu-dit La Guerre. [159], Tax is collected by the Delaware Division of Revenue.[160]. Subsequent elections have continued to demonstrate Delaware's current strong Democratic lean: John Kerry carried the First State by 8% in 2004; Barack Obama carried it by 25% and by 19% in his two elections of 2008 and 2012; and Hillary Clinton carried it by 11% as she lost the Electoral College in 2016. Wilmington is the state's most populous city (70,635) and its economic hub. The counties were historically divided into hundreds, which were used as tax reporting and voting districts until the 1960s, but now serve no administrative role, their only current official legal use being in real estate title descriptions.[154]. Merchants at the port of Wilmington had trading ties with the British. [28], An independent black denomination was chartered in 1813 by freed slave Peter Spencer as the "Union Church of Africans". The Senate confirms judicial and other nominees appointed by the governor. [46] Throughout the state, integration only encouraged more white flight, and poor economic conditions for the black population led to some violence during the 1960s. [148] Various airlines had served Wilmington Airport, the latest departure being Frontier Airlines in June 2022.[149]. The Unami Lenape in the Delaware Valley were closely related to Munsee Lenape tribes along the Hudson River. This constitutes a total LGBT adult population estimate of 23,698 people. For other uses, see, Map of the United States with Delaware highlighted, Interactive map showing border of Delaware (click to zoom), Unless one counts Louisiana and Alaska, which do not have counties, but. The last northsouth passenger trains through the main part of Delaware was the Pennsylvania Railroad's local Wilmington-Delmar train in 1965. Dover, Delaware - Wikipedia The Delaware legislature declared Black people to be second-class citizens in 1866 and restricted their voting rights despite the Fifteenth Amendment, ensuring continued Democratic success in the state throughout most of the nineteenth century. Vacationers are drawn for many reasons, including the town's charm, artistic appeal, nightlife, and tax-free shopping. Delaware, USA: Beaches, Regal Beauty, History and Tax-Free Shopping The will and a copy of the death certificate is presented to the Register of Wills. 14 Bad Things About Living In Delaware - Only In Your State Atlantic City International Airport (ACY), Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) are also within a 100-mile (160km) radius of New Castle County. Joe Biden June 14 The other. Date Posted: Friday, June 30th, 2023 The Delaware State Police arrested 22-year-old De'Andre Barham of Bridgeville, Delaware on numerous criminal charges following a pursuit and foot chase that took place yesterday morning in Bridgeville.. On June 29, 2023, at approximately 9:28 a.m., a trooper on patrol saw a black 2013 Adly moped traveling on Mill Park Drive without a registration plate. Significantly, Belton was the only case in which the state court found for the plaintiffs, thereby ruling that segregation is unconstitutional. [citation needed], During the Reconstruction Era that followed the Civil War, Democratic Redeemer governments led by the South's Bourbon aristocracy continued to dominate the region and imposed explicitly white supremacist regimes in the former slave states. Prior Year Tax Forms . When you visit the First State, be sure . . 1:00. It is sometimes called the First State because it was the first colony to accept the new constitution in 1787. [133] As of January 2012[update], none of the State's charter schools are members of a teachers union. Interstate 295 (I-295) is a bypass of Philadelphia which begins south of Wilmington. 1,018,396. [152], The executive branch is headed by the Governor of Delaware. However, DE real estate has historically been on an upward trend, so expect increases in prices year over year. The University of Delaware has agreed to settle a lawsuit with $6.3 million over shutting down the campus due to the pandemic during the 2020 spring semester. [33] Because of Wilmington's growth, local politicians from the city and New Castle County pressured the state government to adopt a new constitution providing the north with more representation. Delaware, constituent state of the United States of America. Corrections? In the WNBA, the Washington Mystics enjoy a major following due to the presence of Wilmington native and University of Delaware product Elena Delle Donne. Where in the U.S. did slavery still exist after Juneteenth? [56] The northernmost part of the state is part of the Piedmont Plateau with hills and rolling surfaces. Senators are Tom Carper (Democrat) and Chris Coons (Democrat). Delaware is known as a state of neighbors, so welcome to your new neighborhood! 0:05. [43][44][45] The ensuing unrest, which included cross burnings, rallies, and pro-segregation demonstrations, contributed to desegregation in most of Southern Delaware being delayed for another ten years. January 09, 2017 The perception about the United States in the period before the Civil War is that the North was "free" and the South was "slave." Now, in some senses this division is accurate; certainly the two regions would end up going to war against each other for issues very related to this debate over slavery. Beaches, regal beauty and tax-free shopping. Delaware | Flag, Facts, Maps, & Points of Interest | Britannica [citation needed]. Republican John Addicks attempted to buy a US Senate seat multiple times in a rivalry with the Du Ponts until the passage of the Seventeenth Amendment. While most Delaware citizens who fought in the war served in the regiments of the state, some served in companies on the Confederate side in Maryland and Virginia Regiments. The centre of Wilmington lies on hills sloping downward toward the confluence of the Christina and its major tributary, the Brandywine. Much of the shoreline of Delaware Bay is marshy. They had a settled hunting and agricultural society, and they rapidly became middlemen in an increasingly frantic fur trade with their ancient enemy, the Minqua or Susquehannock. Most state government operations are located in Dover, the capital. [97], Religion in Delaware per the Public Religion Research Institute's 2022 American Values Atlas survey[d][98], The predominant religion practiced in Delaware is Christianity. A list of . Real estate is subject to county property taxes, school district property taxes, vocational school district taxes, and, if located within an incorporated area, municipal property taxes.