History of Delaware, USA

In 1638, New Sweden was founded as a colony along the Delaware River, marking the first permanent European settlement on Delaware soil. The colony was established by Swedish and Finnish settlers under the leadership of Peter Minuit, who famously purchased Manhattan Island from the Lenape Native Americans while serving as director of the Dutch colony of New Netherland. New Sweden's main settlement was Fort Christina, named after Queen Christina of Sweden, located near present-day Wilmington, Delaware. The colony's primary purpose was to establish a profitable fur trade and expand Sweden's influence in the New World.

New Sweden faced challenges from its neighbors, particularly the Dutch, who also sought to control the lucrative fur trade in the region. In 1655, the Dutch captured New Sweden, incorporating it into New Netherland. However, the legacy of New Sweden endured, as many of its settlers remained in the area and played a significant role in the cultural and economic...

In 1777, during the American Revolutionary War, the United States flag was reportedly flown for the first time in the Battle of Cooch's Bridge, which took place in Delaware on September 3rd. The battle was part of a larger campaign by British forces under General William Howe to capture Philadelphia, then the capital of the United States. The American forces, led by General George Washington, were attempting to delay the British advance.

During the Battle of Cooch's Bridge, which was a minor engagement, American forces attempted to halt the British advance across the Brandywine River. While the exact details are unclear and the historical record is debated, some accounts suggest that the American flag, featuring thirteen stars and thirteen stripes representing the original thirteen colonies, was flown during this battle. If true, this would make it one of the earliest recorded instances of the flag being flown in a military engagement, symbolizing the unity and resolve of the...

In 1829, the Delaware Canal opened, marking a significant moment in American transportation history. The canal, stretching 60 miles from Easton to Bristol, Pennsylvania, was constructed to connect the Delaware River with the Lehigh River, providing a vital waterway for the transportation of goods between eastern Pennsylvania and Philadelphia.

The Delaware Canal played a crucial role in the region's economic development, facilitating the transport of coal, lumber, and agricultural products. Its opening spurred industrial growth along its banks and helped establish Philadelphia as a major commercial center.

In January 1861, the United States stood on the brink of civil war as states grappled with the issue of secession. Delaware, a slave state, held a critical vote on January 3rd to determine its allegiance. Despite its geographic location in the South, Delaware chose to remain loyal to the Union, making it one of the few slave states to do so.

Delaware's decision not to secede was significant for several reasons. It maintained the Union's control over a crucial border state, which could have shifted the balance of power in favor of the Confederacy. Additionally, Delaware's choice reflected the complex and divided loyalties within border states, where slavery was practiced but secession was not universally supported.

Delaware, one of the Middle Atlantic states, in area the smallest state in the Union except Rhode Island, is bounded N. by Pennsylvania, E. by Delaware River and Bay and the Atlantic Ocean, and S. and W. by Maryland. Its length (from 38°28' to 39° 50' N. lat.) is 96 miles; its breadth ranges from 9 to 37 miles (75° to 75° 46' W. lon.). Area, 2050 square miles, more than one-half of which consists of cultivated farm-lands...

History-Delaware Bay was discovered by Hudson in 1609, and visited in 1610 by Lord De la Warr. Prominent events of local history have been the purchase of part of the country by the Dutch, 1629; the settlement of Lewes by the Dutch, 1630; the destruction of the colony by Indians, 1833; the purchase of the W. coast of the bay by the Swedes and Finns, and the founding (1638) of the colony of New Sweden, which extended as far up the river as Wicaco, now in Philadelphia; the construction of Fort Casimir, at New Castle, by the Dutch; its capture by the Swedes, 1654;...