Delaware

Chris, Teddey, Doug

Geography:

Delaware's location is between the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. It is a small peninsula with low-lying flat land at about 60 feet above sea level. The main waterway is the Delaware River, which separates the northeastern corner of the state from New Jersey. .

The Delaware River is 280 miles long and is one of the most important waterways of the midsection of America's East Coast. With the possible exception of George Washington crossing the river to ambush the Hessians during the American Revolution, the Delaware is relatively unknown.

Delaware’s land is flat and is covered by Coastal Plain sediments. Wet lands and marshes are a great source for fertile soil and are often interspersed with woodlands.

**History Of Delaware**

In 1631 the first colony was set up but failed by the Dutch led by Captain David Pietersen De Vries. They were all killed fighting with the natives.

1638 Peter Minuet Explores the Delaware River with a Swedish company. They brought the lob cabin design to America

1655 Dutch get control back from the Swedish. Then the English Take Delaware in 1664 after defeating the Dutch. After another fight with the English the Dutch retake Delaware for a short period from 1673 to 1674 when the English retake Delaware.

In 1682 Delaware is given to William Penn but he loses control and Delaware is in English control from 1701 to 1776.

They create their own assembly in 1703

The Dutch were the primary Founders. They came in order to create a trade colony

Yes Delaware was economic. It primarily was used for shipbuilding, Fishing and small manufacturing.

Yes, Delaware was very political. From the year 1631 to 1776 there were many disputes between controlling countries. In 1631 The Dutch settled, but they failed for natives killed the settlers. In 1638 Peter Minuet Explores the Delaware River area with a Swedish group. They founded the colony of New Sweden. In 1655 The Dutch send Peter Stuyvesant to conquer the colony of New Sweden. The Swedes never gain control again. At this time the English and the Dutch start a trade war. In the end the English control Delaware from 1673-1776.

Delaware was not settled primarily for religion.

Yes, there were Natives in the region. The two Primary tribes in this area are the Nanticoke and the Lenape. In 1631 the original European settlers in this area got in a major dispute with the Natives and were killed. Another native tribe by the name of the Minqua visited for trading often.

Economy In Delaware there were many industries that produced produces such as cloth, paper and flour. Delaware has a flat tax and no sales tax, which makes buying and selling goods very easy and much cheaper. Wilmington was a main center of commerce and industry during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Eleuthere Irenee du Pont de Nemours built a gun powder mill on the Brandy Wine River and supplied the United States Military with gun powder and other explosives. Delaware did not rely a lot on slave labor and most free people supported the emancipation of slaves except for the landowners in southern Delaware. Although there was and growing population of freed African Americans in Delaware, by 1860 there was as little as 1,800 slaves.

Social

The main language spoken in colonial Delaware was English but others spoke German as well. There were also many different religions practice across Delaware such as Puritans and Quakers. The role of women was mostly household chores and teaching the children. They also sewed and made clothes for the family. They often prepared dinner for the family that they would make from scratch. For example, women would churn their own butter from the milk of cows.

**Political:**

Delaware was given a Proprietary as its type of charter. Delaware had a flat tax, which is a type of government levy in which the same tax rate is applied to all income levels.

Terms:

**Triangle Trade**- Delaware is generally not part of the triangle trade

**Salutary Neglect**- Delaware exported goods such as Cloth and Gunpowder. They had no limit on the amount they could export, thus letting them flourish.

**Mercantilism**- Exporting Gunpowder and Cloth provided great benefit for the mother country

**Great awakening**- Because Delaware was primarily a colony settled for economic reasons the great awakening did not affect it.

**Cash Crops**- Delaware had crops such as wheat and cotton that sell highly. Also fish are also a highly valuable resource. All of these would sell for good prices in the mother country

**French and Indian War** How was your colony involved in the French and Indian War What happened to your colony as a result of the French and Indian War Were there more Patriots or Loyalist in your colony Did your colony support the ideas of revolution

As British colonists immigrated to North America, the Delawares moved west away from the land-hungry Europeans. While trying to escape the British colonists, the Delawares encountered the Iroquois Indians, who struggled with the Delawares and drove them further west. As a result of the French and Indian War, Delaware remained loyal to the British and the American colonists until the American Revolution. In 1829, the United States forced the Delawares to relinquish their remaining land in Ohio and move west of the Mississippi River.

The number of loyalists compared to the number of patriots was about the same. Delaware tried to remain neutral in the conflict, especially those who practiced Christianity and lived in Moravian Church missions at Schoenbrunn and Gnadenhutten in what is now eastern Ohio. Other Delawares supported the English, who had replaced the French traders at the end of the French and Indian War.

Revolution Two major leaders who came from Delaware are Caesar Rodney and John Dickenson. Caesar Rodney rode his horse all night in the rain to cast his vote for independence, which without it could’ve been taken much longer to gain independence from Britain. John Dickenson played a major role in the creation of the U.S. Constitution. Delaware was mostly pro independence during the revolution besides the few loyalist movements in the state. One major event that happened in Delaware during the revolution was The Battle of Brandy Wine where the British Army defeated the Americans. The British then marched to Wilmington where they forced the Americans to surrender after they captured the Governor.

[]

[]

[]

[]

[]

[]

[]