Delaware - Tidbits of History

Header image from National Park Service, Chesapeake Bay, Delaware.

Delaware was the first state to ratify the United States constitution. It did so on December 7, 1787.

Bird: Blue Hen Chicken

During the Revolutionary War, the men of Captain Jonathan Caldwell’s company, recruited in Kent County, took with them game chickens that were said to be of the brood of a famous Blue Hen and were noted for their fighting ability. When not fighting the enemy, the officers and men amused themselves by pitting their Blue Hen chickens in cockfights. The fame of these cockfights spread throughout the army and when in battle, the Delaware men fought so valiantly that they were compared to these fighting cocks.
The Delaware Blue Hen is a blue strain of American gamecock. It was adopted on April 14, 1939, as the state bird of Delaware. It is one of three U.S. state birds that is not a species native to the United States.

Flower: Peach Blossoms

In the language of flowers, peach blossoms symbolize luck. Delaware designated the peach blossom as the official state flower symbol in 1895 because of Delaware’s reputation as “The Peach State” (at that time, Delaware orchards contained more than 800,000 peach trees).

Tree: – American Holly

The tree can reach a maximum of 60 feet in height and a trunk diameter of 20 inches.

State Quarter
From theus50.com

The Delaware quarter, depicts the historic horseback ride of Caesar Rodney.

Caesar Rodney was a delegate to the Continental Congress. On July 1, 1776, despite suffering from asthma and cancer, Rodney set off on the 80-mile journey to Philadelphia withstanding thundershowers and a severe summer heat wave. The next day, he arrived at Independence Hall just in time to cast the deciding vote in favor of our nation’s independence. This native of Dover has also held more public offices than any other Delaware citizen. In addition to being an extremely dedicated delegate, Rodney was also a soldier, judge, and speaker of Delaware’s Assembly.

Capital: Dover

Nickname: Diamond State/ First State –
“The Diamond State” – According to legend, Thomas Jefferson gave this nickname to Delaware because he described it as a “jewel” among states due to its strategic location on the Eastern Seaboard.

Insect: Ladybug

Colors: Colonial blue and buff

Fish: Weakfish – In recognition of sportfishing’s overall recreational and economic contributions to the state of Delaware and of the specific values of the weakfish (Cynoscion genus) as a game and food fish, the state Legislature adopted the weakfish as its State fish in 1981. This fish is also known as sea trout, gray trout, yellow mouth, yellow fin trout, squeteague, and tiderunner.

Motto: Liberty and Independence

Delaware Facts and Trivia

Delaware is the second smallest state at 1,982 square miles. It is only 96 miles N-S and 30 miles E-W.

Delaware was named for Thomas West, the 12th Baron de la Warr, the first governor of Virginia.

Delaware has three counties: New Castle, Kent, and Sussex.

While some states experience extreme variations in weather conditions and climate, Delaware is one of the few states that remains moderate all the year round. Around 57% of all days are sunny, and average temperatures range from 32 degrees Fahrenheit to 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Annually, the state receives around 45 inches of rain.

Delaware shares a semi-circular border with Pennsylvania. The border was drawn at the time of the original land grants to William Penn from King Charles II and the Duke of York. This is the only nominally circular state boundary in the United States.

The definition of the northern boundary of the state is unusual. Most of the boundary between Delaware and Pennsylvania was originally defined by an arc extending 12 miles (19.3 km) from the cupola of the courthouse in the city of New Castle. This boundary is often referred to as the Twelve-Mile Circle.

The Maryland/Delaware boundary and the Mason-Dixon Line divide Delmar. A double crown stone marker was erected in 1768 as the southern end of the only North-South portion of the Mason-Dixon line. Delmar is popularized as the little town too big for one state. The community has the distinction of being located partly in Delaware and partly in Maryland.

The log cabin originated in Finland. Finnish settlers arrived in the mid-1600s and brought with them plans for the log cabin, one of the enduring symbols of the American pioneer. One of the cabins has been preserved and is on display at the Delaware Agricultural Museum in Dover.

Delaware was the only state without any National Park System units such as national parks, seashores, historic sites, battlefields, memorials, and monuments until 2013. The First State National Monument was dedicated by President Obama and includes 1100 acres of land and historic buildings including Dover Green where Delawareans ratified the Constitution.

Tradition holds the first time Betsy Ross’s famous flag was flown was at the Battle of Cooch’s Bridge. This historic site is located on route 4 in Newark.

In 1785 Oliver Evans of Newport invented the automatic flour-milling machinery that revolutionized the industry.

The 87-foot Fenwick Island Lighthouse was painted in 1880 for a total cost of about $5.00.

Fisher’s popcorn is a famous coastal caramel corn. It has been ordered from as far away as Vietnam and Indonesia.

The Du Pont Laboratories first produced nylon at its plant in Seaford. This earned the town the distinction of being the Nylon Capital of the World.

Delaware plays host to the World Championship Punkin Chunkin Association’s annual competition.

The state has no sales tax.

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 50% of all NYSE-listed business and 60% of the Fortune 500.

Delaware residents as a group tend to vote toward the conservative side of moderate on fiscal and economic issues, and are more moderate on social issues.
Until the 2000 presidential election, the state tended to be a Presidential bellwether, sending its three electoral votes to the winning candidate since 1952. This trend ended in 2000 when Delaware’s electoral votes went to Al Gore by 20-percentage points. In 2004, John Kerry won the state by eight-percentage points. In 2008, Democrat Barack Obama defeated Republican John McCain in Delaware by 25-percentage points. (Obama’s running mate was Joe Biden, who had represented Delaware in the United States Senate since 1973.) Obama carried Delaware by 19-percentage points in 2012. In 2016, Delaware’s electoral votes went to Hillary Clinton by 11-percentage points. As of 2017, 47% of registered votes identified themselves as Democrats; 28% as Republicans; and 23% as Unaffiliated.

Crazy Laws in Delaware:
Pawnbrokers may not accept your wheelchair or artificial arm or leg as payment.
Hunting on Sundays is not allowed except fox hunting with dogs.
Don’t change your clothes in a car or a public restroom
Minors may not watch outdoor movies.

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