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Major religious groups in the Delaware Colony included Quakers, Catholics, Jews, and Lutherans. There was no dominating religion like in the New England Colonies and religious tolerance made the area attractive to those who were not purists.
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Major towns in the Delaware Colony included Georgetown and Wilmington.
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The Delaware Colony was divided into three counties in 1682 including New Castle, Sussex, and Kent.
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The major agricultural industries in the Delaware Colony included livestock, indigo (a dye), grain, wheat, and rice.
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Manufacturing in the Delaware Colony included products derived from iron ore such as nails, locks, kettles, tools, and plows. A lot of these products were exported to England.
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Natural resources in the Delaware Colony included farmland, forest (timber), coal, furs, fish, and iron ore.
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The Delaware Colony's landscape includes Atlantic coastal plains and flat lowland. Delaware`s southern region is made up of more than 30,000 swampy acres.
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The Delaware Colony's mild climate made farming and agricultural pursuits feasible for the colonists.
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The Delaware Colony was often referred to as the breadbasket colony. The colony grew a lot of wheat (which is used to make bread), and after being ground into four it was exported to England.
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A Delaware Colony farmer's property usually included between 50 and 150 acres with a house, yard, and barn.
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In 1664 the British gained control of the Delaware Colony. William Penn was given the deed by the Duke of York, and from 1682 to 1701 it was governed under Pennsylvania.
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In 1701 the Lower Counties, which included Delaware Colony petitioned for independent colonial legislature. Despite being granted its request, the Delaware Colony continued to share Pennsylvania's governor until 1776.
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In 1776 the Delaware Colony's assembly voted to break ties with Pennsylvania and with England as well, essentially declaring its independence in a document signed by representatives from all 13 colonies. It joined in the rebellion against Great Britain, along with the other 12 colonies, and laid the groundwork to becoming a U.S. state.
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The Delaware Colony was the first of the original 13 colonies to ratify the federal Constitution.
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The Delaware Colony became a state on December 7th, 1787.
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Delaware encompasses 2,489 square miles. It is the smallest state but also one of the most densely populated states in the U.S.
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Nicknames given to Delaware over the years include The First State, The Diamond State, the Blue Hen State, and Small Wonder.
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Delaware's motto is 'Liberty and Independence'.
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Today, Delaware's capital is Dover.
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