Delaware

Overview

The three counties which make up the state of Delaware were added to William Penn's lands in America.  In 1682, Penn came ashore at New Castle and took possession, but these counties, which were well established, became dissatisfied with Penn's rule.  In 1704, he granted them a separate legislature and New Castle became the colonial capital of Delaware.  In June 1776, the three lower counties declared their independence from both Great Britain and Pennsylvania.  During the Revolutionary War, the minor battle of Cooches Bridge was fought in Delaware, a few miles south of Newark along the Christina River.  On December 7, 1787, Delaware signed the United States Constitution, becoming the first colony to do so.

Today, Delaware is the corporate home to over half of the Fortune 500 companies in the United States.  Chemical and banking industries are the largest ecomonic force in northern Delaware, while agriculture make up the largest industry in the southern part of the state.  Tourists flock to Delaware beaches in eastern Sussex County in the summer months.  No sales tax has also made shopping a major industry in Delaware, as out-of-state buyers flock to Delaware from the surrounding states to save.

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Essentials