Present-day Delaware, at the time of the first European settlements, was occupied by the Nanticoke in the southwest regions and the Lenni Lenape or Delaware in the north. Delaware is not a Native American word. The Lenape are traditionally regarded as the “grandfather” or progenitors of all Algonkian-speaking tribes.
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Who were the first people to live in Delaware?
Colonial Delaware
The Dutch were the first Europeans to settle in present-day Delaware in the middle region by establishing a trading post at Zwaanendael, near the site of Lewes in 1631. Within a year all the settlers were killed in a dispute with area Native American tribes.
Where were the colonists who lived in Delaware originally from?
In the early 17th century the area was inhabited by Lenape and possibly the Assateague tribes of Native Americans. The first European settlers were Swedes, who established the colony New Sweden at Fort Christina at present day Wilmington, in 1638.
What Native Americans were in Delaware?
Delaware, also called Lenni Lenape or Lenape, a confederation of Algonquian-speaking North American Indians who occupied the Atlantic seaboard from Cape Henlopen, Delaware, to western Long Island.
What group of people settled Delaware before the English did?
Native Americans. Before Delaware was settled by Europeans, the area was home to the Lenni Lenape (also known as the Delaware), Susquehanna, Nanticoke, and other Native American tribes. After the Swedish, Dutch colonists settled there, and the native peoples traded with the settlers for a half century.
How many slaves did Delaware have?
| COUNTY | SLAVES | TOTAL |
|---|---|---|
| New Castle | 254 | 8,442 |
| Kent | 303 | 7,474 |
| Sussex | 1,341 | 5,711 |
| Total | 1,798 | 21,627 |
When was slavery ended in Delaware?
Finally, on February 12, 1901, Delaware ratified the Thirteenth Amendment abolishing slavery—more than 30 years after the rest of the nation.
Who were the first European settlers in Delaware?
The first European colony in the Delaware Valley was established by Swedish settlers in 1638. Between 1698 and 1699, the descendants of these early colonists constructed Old Swedes Church (also known as Holy Trinity Church), which is one of the oldest houses of worship in America still in use.
Who founded Delaware colony and why?
The Delaware Colony was founded in 1638 by Peter Minuit and New Sweden Company. Named after the Delaware River whose name was derived from that of Sir Thomas West (Lord de la Warr) who was Virginia Company’s first governor.
What was Delaware originally called?
Fort Christian
Delaware was first settled by the New Sweden Company in 1638. Their first settlement was named “Fort Christian”, after the queen of Sweden. In 1655, Peter Stuyvesant captured New Sweden for the Dutch.
Where did the Delaware tribe originate?
The Delaware natives, also called the Lenape, originally lived along the Delaware River in New Jersey. They speak a form of the Algonquian language and are thus related to the Miami natives, Ottawa natives, and Shawnee natives.
Where are the Delaware tribe today?
Through different migrations, one small band of Delawares left the group in the late 1700s and are today located at Anadarko, Oklahoma and known as the Delaware Nation.
When did the Delaware Tribe start?
History. The historically Algonquian-speaking Delaware refer to themselves as Lenni Lenape. At first European contact in the early 17th century, the tribe lived along the Delaware River, named for Lord de la Warr, territory in lower present-day New York state and eastern New Jersey, and western Long Island, New York.
When did slavery start in Delaware colony?
The first black slave in the colony was named Anthony, and he had been brought up from the West Indies in 1639. But African slavery didn’t truly begin in a large scale in Delaware until the Dutch took over.
Was Delaware a southern state?
As defined by the United States Census Bureau, the Southern region of the United States includes sixteen states.The South Atlantic States: Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia. The East South Central States: Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi and Tennessee.
Was Delaware a Union or Confederate?
Delaware was a slave state during the Civil War (1861-1865), but it remained loyal to the Union and it voted against secession on January 3, 1861.
What state had the last slaves?
West Virginia became the 35th state on June 20, 1863, and the last slave state admitted to the Union. Eighteen months later, the West Virginia legislature completely abolished slavery, and also ratified the 13th Amendment on February 3, 1865.
Which state was the first to free slaves?
In 1780, Pennsylvania became the first state to abolish slavery when it adopted a statute that provided for the freedom of every slave born after its enactment (once that individual reached the age of majority). Massachusetts was the first to abolish slavery outright, doing so by judicial decree in 1783.
When did Delaware recognize Juneteenth?
Black people in Delaware couldn’t celebrate Juneteenth until 1901 because that’s when the Small Wonder ratified the 13th Amendment to abolish slavery.
What country founded Delaware?
December 7, 1787
How did Delaware became the first state?
The Dates. 1704, the year that Delaware established its General Assembly; 1776, the year that our independence from Great Britain was declared; and 1787, the year that Delaware became “the First State” by being the first colony to ratify the United States Constitution.
