Delaware was governed by Pennsylvania until the American Revolution, when it became a separate colony. However, it gained much of its culture, beliefs, and way of life from Pennsylvania. Originally, Delaware consisted of several Native American tribes, which were pushed to the outskirts of the colony when colonists began to inhabit it. However, due to William Penn's ideals for relations with the Native Americans, those who lived in Delaware still maintained the peace. Delaware, like the other middle colonies, was filled with people who practiced different religions and belonged to different cultures. However, like Pennsylvania, it had a large Quaker population.
            There were many socio-economic struggles in Delaware. Most of the colonists in Delaware were part of the middle-class, and resented the upper-class. Because there were so many people belonging to the middle-class, the richer colonists were unable to isolate themselves from them like they were able to do in Europe. The middle-class could not be ignored, mostly because of their size, but also because of the fact that democractic traditions prevented complete takeover by the upper-class.
             Like the rest of the middle colonies, Delaware's economy relied on its geography - rich soil and many forests. The soil enabled the planting of crops - grains in particular - and the forests allowed for lumber production and ship building. Although Delaware was one of the smaller colonies, it maintained successful trade with the other colonies, particularly Pennsylvania. Its access to rivers and its proximity to the ocean also enabled naval transportation across the colonies.