HISTORY While Native American Indian Tribes such as the
Nanticoke and Unami Lenape were the original inhabitants of the area now known
as ?Delaware?, the Dutch came to the area and began settling in 1631. After
numerous setbacks and a short Swedish rule, the Dutch established a fort in 1651
at the present-day site of New Castle and subsequently took over the Swedish
colony (headquartered in Wilmington). In 1664, James, the Duke of York, led the
British expedition that forcibly removed the Dutch and the British maintained
control of the ?Lower Counties on the Delaware? until the Colonial Assembly
declared itself independent of British and Pennsylvanian rule in 1776.
The British occupied the Delaware River for a short time during the Battle of
Brandywine; however, following the American Revolution, the U.S. Senate and U.S
House of Representatives formed and DE became the first state to ratify the U.S.
Constitution on December 7, 1787. Tobacco and slave labor drove the colonial
economy, until attempts to abolish slavery lead to more freed African Americans
than any other U.S. colony. The American Civil War lead to DE?s rejection of the
13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and slavery ended in December of 1865.
From the 1870?s through the early 1950?s DE adopted segregation and the legal
maxim of separate but equal. Delaware, whose motto is ?Liberty and
Independence?, segregated their public schools in the mid 1950?s.
DEMOGRAPHICS Census 2000 data placed Delaware?s population at
783,600. Estimates in 2006 indicate a surge in population to 853,476. This is an
8.9% increase since the last official census. Dover, the capital city, accounts
for 32,135 of that total, while Wilmington, DE?s largest city, holds a
population of 72,664. Delaware is the country?s 45th most populous state. In
addition, DE remains the seventh most densely populated state. DE has a
population density of 320 more people per square mile than the national average.
Townsend, located in New Castle County is DE?s center of population.
Delaware?s five largest groups of ancestry include African American (19.2%),
Irish (16.6%), German (14.3%), English (12.1%) and Italian (9.3%). The highest
concentration of African American residents north of Maryland resides in DE.
Delaware was also home to the largest population of free African Americans prior
to the Civil War. In addition, nearly 20,000 Jews call Delaware their home. As
of 2000, more than 90% of Delaware?s citizens over the age of five speak only
English when at home; while just under 5% speak Spanish.
GEOGRAPHY
Delaware, the ?First State?, spreads throughout nearly 2,500 square miles, 22%
of which includes water. Ranked as the 49th state in area, Delaware is the
nation?s second smallest state (after Rhode Island). DE shares its borders with
the states of Maryland, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, while the Atlantic Ocean
forms the western border. The three counties of New Castle, Kent and Sussex
comprise the State of Delaware and the largest urban areas are Dover, Elsmere,
Georgetown, Middletown, Milford, Newark, New Castle and Seaford. DE, along with
two VA counties and the Eastern Shore counties of MD form the Delmarva
Peninsula.
Delaware lies at a mean elevation of 59 feet on a level plain. Ebright Azimuth,
DE?s highest point, is 450 feet, while the Atlantic Ocean, at sea level, is the
lowest point. Characterized by gently rolling hills, northern DE stakes claim to
portions of the Appalachian Piedmont. Associated with the Atlantic Coastal
Plain, southern DE features a flat, sandy terrain, with intermittent swampland.
While Chesapeake Bay and the Delaware River are the primary bodies of water
within DE, the Atlantic Ocean remains the principal moderator of the local
climate. The climate ranges from a continental climate to a humid subtropical
climate, depending on the geographical location.
ECONOMY Delaware boasts a thriving economy that generally exceeds the nation?s
economy. In 2003, the gross state product was $49 billion (per the Bureau of
Economic Analysis). Industrial outputs include chemical products, paper
products, plastics, processed foods and rubber products.
DE?s workforce earns a personal per capita income of $34,199 per year, ranking
it the nation?s ninth. Automotive manufacturing, banking and finance, chemical
and pharmaceutical companies, education and government are among the largest
sectors providing employers in Delaware. Companies include AstraZeneca, Bank of
America, Daimler Chrysler, the State of Delaware and the University of Delaware.
Dover Air Force Base is another major employer for residents. Located in the
Capital City of Dover, the base is among the largest in the nation.
AGRICULTURE DE features a
thriving agricultural base, whose proceeds greatly benefit the gross state
product. Agricultural output includes corn, dairy products, nursery stock,
poultry and soybeans. Farming, specifically chicken farming at Perdue Farms and
Moutaire Farms in Sussex County, account for a significant number of jobs for
DE?s workforce.
TRANSPORTATION Seven major highways serve the State of Delaware. These include I-95 and
U.S. Routes 9, 13, 40, 113, 202 and 301. Interstate 95, a busy highway that
spans the Atlantic Coast, runs southwest to northeast across New Castle County.
Delaware State Highways include Route 1, Route 9 and Route 404. DE Route 1 and
U.S. Route 13, the principal north-south highways serving Delaware, provide
access to Pennsylvania and Maryland, while U.S. Route 40 and DE Route 404 are
the primary east-west routes. Delaware is also home to nearly 1,450 bridges,
nearly ninety-five percent of which are under the management of DelDOT (the
Delaware Department of Transportation). The Delaware Turnpike and Korean War
Veterans Memorial Highway are DE?s two toll highways.
Delaware is also home to an intricate public transportation system called DART
First State, which earned the title of ?Most Outstanding Public Transportation
System? in 2003. Services included in this network are bussing, subsidized
passenger rail service and subsidized taxi and paratransit services. Additional
modes of transportation include Amtrak service, two ferryboats, and New Castle
Airport.
EDUCATION
Delaware offers an impressive selection of higher learning facilities. Colleges
include Goldey-Beacom College, Wesley Colleges, Wilmington College and the
Delaware College of Art and Design. Delaware?s fine universities include
Delaware State University, Drexel University at Wilmington, the University of
Delaware and the Widener University School of Law.
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DISCLAIMER:
Attorney Advertising. Prior Results Do Not Guarantee a Similar Outcome.
Representation in jurisdictions where our attorneys are not already licensed is
performed in conjunction with local
counsel / lawyers - at no additional legal fees to our clients - and with
permission of the court.
