Before 5 p.m., a 2002 Ford Ranger was on I-495's southbound side and the driver attempted to pass a 2007 Kenworth Tractor, Delaware State Police said in a statement. So does the Pocomoke River, which drains the Cypress Swamp, or so-called Burnt Swamp, in the extreme south of Delaware, athwart the Maryland line. du Pont de Nemours & Co. and Dow Chemical Company into DowDuPont took place on September 1, 2017.[116][117][118][119]. To the west, a portion of the arc extends past the easternmost edge of Maryland. [144][145], The DART First State public transportation system was named "Most Outstanding Public Transportation System" in 2003 by the American Public Transportation Association. Below is a list of all 50 states in the order they joined the Union.. Pennsylvania-Maryland border . [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. This toponymic could derive from Latin ager, from the Breton gwern or from the Late Latin varectum (fallow). This article is about the U.S. state. This constitutes a total LGBT adult population estimate of 23,698 people. The lists are organized both alphabetically and by the number of bordering states. 1,018,396. Frequently Asked Tax Questions - State of Delaware They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. DE9 is a northsouth highway connecting Dover and Wilmington via a scenic route along the Delaware Bay. Nickname: The First State Statehood: 1787; 1st state Population (as of July 2016): 952,065 Capital: Dover Biggest City: Wilmington Abbreviation: DE State bird: blue hen State flower: peach. [140] Among these roads, Sussex (county road) 236 is among the most problematic.[140]. The Northeast Corridor is also served by SEPTA's Wilmington/Newark Line of Regional Rail, which serves Claymont, Wilmington, Churchmans Crossing, and Newark. [121] Although "USA (Delaware)" ranked as the world's most opaque jurisdiction on the Tax Justice Network's 2009 Financial Secrecy Index,[122] the same group's 2011 Index ranks the U.S. fifth and does not specify Delaware. It shortens the water route between Philadelphia and Baltimore, Md., by several hundred miles and also brings Baltimore closer to the ocean than via Chesapeake Bay. Dover is the state capital and the second most populous city (38,079). The Swedish then took over in the mid-1600s. Shifts in the agriculture economy from tobacco to mixed farming resulted in less need for slaves' labor. Gambling provides significant revenue to the state. . However, the subsequent 1897 constitution did not proportionally represent the north and continued to give the southern counties disproportionate influence. In October 1954, the city of Milford became the scene of one of the country's first pro-segregation boycotts after eleven Black students were enrolled in the previously all-white Milford High School. 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]. [13], Delaware occupies the northeastern portion of the Delmarva Peninsula and some islands and territory within the Delaware River. Most of Delaware is drained by streams that run eastward to the Delaware River, Delaware Bay, and the Atlantic Ocean, but the Nanticoke River and its tributaries in southwestern Delaware flow into Chesapeake Bay. Riots broke out in Wilmington in 1967 and again in 1968 in response to the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr, after which the National Guard occupied the city for nine months to prevent further violence. On March 4, 1789, the general government under the Articles was replaced with the federal government under the present Constitution. The GOP ensured Black people could vote because of their general support for Republicans and thus undid restrictions on Black suffrage. For families, you will find a world-class education in Delaware. These states are presented in the order each ratified the 1787 . "[citation needed], Beginning in the late nineteenth century, the Wilmington area grew into a manufacturing center. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs programs, July 2023. Rehoboth Beach often bills itself as "The Nation's Summer Capital" because it is a frequent summer vacation destination for Washington, D.C., residents as well as visitors from Maryland, Virginia, and in lesser numbers, Pennsylvania. 2. The state does not assess sales tax on consumers. In 1992, 2000, 2004, and 2016, the Republican presidential candidate carried both Kent and Sussex but lost by double digits each time in New Castle County, which was a large enough margin to tip the state to the Democrats. Spencer built a church in Wilmington for the new denomination. Area 2,489 square miles (6,446 square km). [74] The center of population of Delaware is in New Castle County, in the town of Townsend. Delaware saw 8.5million visitors in 2015, with the tourism industry employing 41,730 people, making it the 4th largest private employer in the state. It ranks 49th among the 50 U.S. states in terms of total area and is one of the most densely populated. 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. Delaware State University students received an education about potential racial profiling and questionable law enforcement practices, with a charter bus traveling through Georgia as their classroom. As of October2019[update], the state's unemployment rate was 3.7%. The definition of the northern boundary of the state is unusual. In 1638 New Sweden, a Swedish trading post and colony, was established at Fort Christina (now in Wilmington) by Peter Minuit at the head of a group of Swedes, Finns and Dutch. 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. It produced nylon in the state after the war and began investments into General Motors. 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. For the convenience of our customers, the division offers a drive-thru window service at all DMV . The Delmarva Central Railroad connects with the Maryland and Delaware Railroad, which serves local customers in Sussex County. Delaware DOJ investigating Cabela's after half-million rounds of ammo [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. Its capital is Dover and its biggest city is Wilmington.It is the second smallest state in the United States. A list of . Delaware occupies an area of 6,446 km (2,489 sq mi) [ 1], it is the second smallest state in the US after Rhode Island. Because of surveying errors, the actual line is several compound arcs with centers at different points in New Castle. By the 1860 census on the verge of the Civil War, 91.7% of the black population were free;[27] 1,798 were slaves, as compared to 19,829 "free colored persons". The centre of Wilmington lies on hills sloping downward toward the confluence of the Christina and its major tributary, the Brandywine. 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. 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. The only real engagement on Delaware soil was the Battle of Cooch's Bridge, fought on September 3, 1777, at Cooch's Bridge in New Castle County, although there was a minor Loyalist rebellion in 1778. Delaware was the origin of Belton v. Gebhart (1952), one of the four cases which were combined into Brown v. Board of Education, the Supreme Court of the United States decision that led to the end of officially segregated public schools. As part of First Saturday in the First State: Old Dover Independence Day, the staff of the Old State House will read the Declaration of Independence at 2 p.m. Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs' Old State House, 25 The Green, Dover. There are a numerous radio stations licensed in Delaware. The colony became a slave society and cultivated tobacco as a cash crop, although English immigrants continued to arrive. 50 Interesting & Fun Facts About Delaware State to Know - Destguides 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. [20][21] Only nine years later, in 1664, the Dutch were conquered by a fleet of English ships by Sir Robert Carr under the direction of James, the Duke of York. 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. 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. Dependent in early years on indentured labor, Delaware imported more slaves as the number of English immigrants decreased with better economic conditions in England. Delaware: December 7, 1787 . U.S. State Admission Dates | First & Last State to Join the Union [161], In June 2018, Delaware became the first U.S. state to legalize sports betting following the Supreme Court ruling to overturn the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 (PASPA).[162]. Only the dramatic overnight ride of Caesar Rodney gave the delegation the votes needed to cast Delaware's vote for independence. Appalled by the condition of the black schools, du Pont donated four million dollars to construct 86 new school buildings.[130]. Delaware's all-time record high of 110F (43C) was recorded at Millsboro on July 21, 1930. [120] The state's attractiveness as a corporate haven is largely because of its business-friendly corporation law. Compared, it would fit into Belgium almost five times. An administrator must be found and presented within 60 days, or the Register of Wills Office may appoint another person to be the administrator.