The History of Delaware

THE HISTORY OF DELAWARE: The American Heritage



From the arrival of the Lenape people thousands of years ago to the cutting-edge innovations of the 21st century, this authoritative account reveals how America's smallest state has maintained an outsized influence on our nation's development.

Meticulously researched and spanning over 400 years of documented history, this compelling narrative brings to life the pivotal role Delaware played in establishing the American union. As the first state to ratify the Constitution on December 7, 1787, Delaware began an American experiment that continues to this day.

Readers will learn how this tiny state - just 96 miles long - became the corporate capital of America, how its courts created legal frameworks that govern two-thirds of Fortune 500 companies, and how its strategic location between North and South created a distinctive culture that mirrored America's own complex identity.

This comprehensive history examines:

The Swedish, Dutch, and English colonial settlements (1638-1700)The crucial role Delaware played during the American RevolutionHow Caesar Rodney's famous midnight ride secured independenceThe state's conflicted position during the Civil WarThe du Pont family's transformation of American industryThe groundbreaking civil rights cases that preceded Brown v. Board of EducationEnvironmental challenges facing Delaware's vulnerable coastlineWritten in accessible language while maintaining academic rigor, this volume presents Delaware not merely as a small state with a fascinating past, but as a microcosm of the American story itself - a place where the tensions, compromises, and innovations that defined our nation played out in concentrated form.

Through extensive use of primary sources, including colonial records, personal letters, government documents, and newspaper accounts dating from 1638 through 2023, this definitive history provides both casual readers and serious scholars with an authoritative reference on the state that, despite its size, helped write the American story.