DELAWARE - Delaware’s path to statehood is one of the most unique in American history. Often called "The First State," it was actually the last of the Middle Colonies to achieve true independence from its neighbors. Before it was Delaware, this small stretch of land was a high-stakes tug-of-war between three different European empires and a powerful neighboring colony.
The Indigenous Land: Lenapehoking
Long before European sails appeared in the Delaware Bay, the land was part of Lenapehoking, the ancestral homeland of the Lenni Lenape (later known as the Delaware Indians). To the south, the Nanticoke people thrived along the rivers. The Lenape were known among other Algonquian nations as the "Grandfather" people because of their ancient roots and role as peacemakers.
The bay and river were central to their civilization, providing a massive highway for trade and a seemingly endless supply of fish and oysters.
New Netherland and the Swanendael Colony (1631)
The first European attempt to claim the area was by the Dutch. They included the region in their vast claim of New Netherland. In 1631, they established a small whaling and farming settlement called Swanendael (Valley of the Swans) near modern-day Lewes. However, due to cultural misunderstandings and conflict with local tribes, the settlement was destroyed within a year.
New Sweden (1638–1655)
Delaware is unique for being the only state that began as a Swedish colony. In 1638, the Swedish West India Company established New Sweden (Nya Sverige), with its capital at Fort Christina (modern-day Wilmington).
The Swedes and Finns who settled here introduced the log cabin to North America—a building style that would become an icon of the American frontier. For seventeen years, Delaware was a Scandinavian outpost, until the Dutch returned in 1655 to reclaim the territory by force.
The Three Lower Counties
In 1664, the English seized all Dutch lands in North America. The Duke of York (later King James II) took control of the area, but its status remained murky.
In 1682, the land was leased to William Penn, who had just founded Pennsylvania. Because Pennsylvania was landlocked, Penn desperately needed access to the ocean. Delaware became known officially as the "Three Lower Counties on the Delaware" (New Castle, Kent, and Sussex).
For decades, Delaware was technically part of Pennsylvania. They shared the same Governor, though the "Lower Counties" grew increasingly resentful of being ruled by the Quaker assembly in Philadelphia.
The Birth of the Delaware State
In 1704, William Penn finally allowed the Three Lower Counties to form their own separate representative assembly. However, they remained under the same Penn family governorship until the American Revolution.
When the Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776, the region finally broke all ties with Pennsylvania and Great Britain. They adopted a constitution and officially named themselves the Delaware State. Because they were the first to ratify the new U.S. Constitution on December 7, 1787, they earned the permanent nickname "The First State."
