DELAWARE (ante), the "diamond state," popularly so-called from its size and shape, was named after lord De La Warr, an early colonial governor of Virginia, who sailed up the bay in 1610, though Henry Hudson had preceded him by nearly a year. In 1630, the Dutch planted a small colony near cape Henlopen, but the Indians drove them out three years later. In 16;7, there came a colony of Swedes and Finlanders, who bought land and built a fort on Christiana creek, named the country New Sweden, and a little later put up a fort on the island of Tinnicum, only a few miles below Phila delphia. This was considered by the Dutch of New Amsterdam an invasion of their territory, and they set up fort Casimir, near the site of the present New Castle, only 5 m. from the Swedish fort. The Swedes took fort Casimir in 1654, but the next year the Dutch seized the whole country, and sent to England all the colonists who refused allegi ance to IIolland. When New York came under the English government, in 1664, the Delaware settlements were claimed for the duke of York, and also by lord Baltimore for Maryland. But William Penn, soon after he settled Pennsylvania, purchased the duke's right, and effected a compromise with Baltimore, so as to add the Delaware settlements to Pennsylvania; and for 20 years they were governed as a part of that state, under the name of the "territories, or three lower counties on the Delaware," each county sending six representatives to the general assembly. In 1703, Delaware set up for herself so far as to establish a separate legislature, but the rule of the Pennsylvania governor was con ceded on the ground of proprietary rights, until the period of the revolution, when the state became independent. While the other colonies suffered severely by Indian forays and wars, Delaware was almost exempt, being in a corner by the sea, out of the path of such trodble. Her men were found, however, on the side of England in the French war; and in the revolution, the soldiers of this little colony were foremost in good ser vice, and the " Blue Hen's chickens," as the Delaware volunteers were called, were among the best and bravest of "Washington's troops. The post-revolutionary history of Delaware has been uneventful.
Next to Rhode Island, Delaware is the smallest of the United States, having only 2,120 sq. miles. Texas alone would make 130 Delawares. The surroundings are Mary- land on the s. and w.: Pennsylvania on the n., and New Jersey, Delaware bay, and the ocean on the east. There are no mountains in the state,. and, except in the northern portion, the surface is uniformly level, and generally sandy. Of the numerous small streams, only Christiana creek is available for large vessels, and that only to Wilmington, the most important harbor in the state. The only other harbors are Lewes and New Castle. There are some swampy districts, but in the main the soil is firm, warm, and fertile, and the climate equable and salubrious, though there is occasional malarial trouble around the wet regions. Wild animals are almost extinct; but the shores of the bay are the resort of wild geese, teal, and ducks. The peach and apple crop, and small berries, are the great staples of the state. There are more than 5,550,000 peach trees, occu pying 55,000 acres of the richest soil. The shipment of peaches by the Delaware railroad was, in 1870, 2,707 car-loads, and in 1877, 4,248 car-loads, of 500 baskets to a car—or 2,124,000 baskets for the last year named; besides this, 20 per ct. of the crop is shipped by boats. The crop is exceedingly variable, some years falling off 60 to per cent. Large quantities of strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries also are sent to market, amounting to more than 5,000,000 quarts in the brief season of six or seven weeks. There is some foreign commerce direct from Wilmington, but such trade is generally through Baltimore or some northern port. Wilmington has a coast line of steamers to New York. Dover is the capital of the state; Wilmington, at the junction of the Brandywine and Christiana creeks, where they empty into the Delaware, is the largest and most important city; and New Castle and Smyrna are the next largest places. The townships bear the name of "hundreds," as anciently in England. The state is divided into three counties, Kent, Newcastle, and Sussex, each having the same numerical rep resentation in the legislature. This may have been equitable at first, but it is so no longer; since the county of Newcastle, at the northern end of the state, of which Wil mington is the capital, contains a larger population than both the other counties put together, and is at the same time more enterprising, intelligent, and prosperous than they. As the two smaller counties are not inclined to surrender their political advan
tages, controling, as they do, the legislature of the state by a minority of the popular vote, it is not easy to see how this wrong is to be righted. The population of the coun ties by the census of 1870 was—Kent, 29,804; Sussex, 31,696; Newcastle, 63,515; majority of the latter over the two former, 2,015, which is likely to be largely increased by the census of 1880. Of the total population of the state in 1870, 102,221 were whites, and 22,794 colored; 115,879 native, and 9,135 foreign born; 62,628 males, and 62,387 females. There were 22,900 families, and 22,577 dwellings. It also appears from the census of 1870, that of the population of the state 10 years old and over, 15,973 were engaged in agriculture, 11,389 in professional and personal occupations, 3.437 in trade and trans portation, and 9,514 in manufactures and mining. The number of acres of improved land was 698,115; bushels of wheat raised, 895,477; of rye, 10,222. Other agricultural pro ductions, such as oats, barley, buckwheat, sweet potatoes, flax, hay, butter, etc., were in fair proportion to the above staples. The farms of the state were valued at $46,712,870. The number of manufacturing establishments was 800, with 164 steam engines of 4.313 horse power, and 234 water wheels of 4,220 horse power; work people employed, 9,710, of whom 1200 were females; capital invested, $10,839,093; wages paid, nearly $4,000,000; value of raw materials, over $10,000,000; of products, nearly $17,000,000. Chesapeake and Delaware bays are connected by a canal large enough for coasting vessels. There are in the state 11 national banks, with capital exceeding $1,500,000; also several state banks, with considerably less capital, and a 'umbel of insurance companies. There are several iron mines in Newcastle county, bog iron ore is found in the swamps, and shell marl is abundant. The debt of the state in 1872 was $1,325,000, mainly incurred during the rebellion. Popular education has been much neglected. Of the total population in 1870 (125,015), 11.280 whites, and 11,820 blacks, 10 years old and upwards, could not write; while 19,680, whites and blacks, could not read. The state has a fund of $452,419 for the support of free schools. There is no state or county superintendence, the school districts acting severally, according to their pleasure in maintaining schools. The advantages of the schools are confined to the white children, the state making no pro vision for the instruction of colored children. There is, however, a charitable organiza tion which supported 20 schools for colored children in 1871. According to the census of 1870, 10,965 children attended school during the year. There were 320 schools of all kinds, with 107 male, and 281 female teachers. In the city of Wilmington, at the northern end of the state, the interests of education are better cared for titan elsewhere, and if Newcastle county were represented in the legislature in proportion to her popu-., lation, the whole tone of legislation on this subject would be very speedily changed.' The Delaware state normal university, in Wilmington, the charter of which was repealed in 1871 for political reasons, had, in 1871–'72, 11 instructors and 221 students. The Wes leyan female college in the same place is prosperous; and Delaware college in Newark, open to both sexes, in 1872 had.10 instructors and 105 students, with a library of 6,000 volumes. To this institution has been given the congressional grant of 90,000 acres of the public lands for an agricultural department: which has been duly organized. The number of libraries in the state in 1870 was 473. containing 183,423 volumes. Of these 221 with 91,148 volumes, were private. The number of church organizations was 267, of church edifices, 252; the Methodists (173 churches), Presbyterians (32 churches), and Episcopalians (29 churches), being the most numerous denominations. The number of newspapers and periodicals in 1870 was 17, with an aggregate circulation of about 21,000. The railroads of the stag are; Delaware,. from Delaware Junction to Maryland line, 84 m.; Junction and Delaware Breakwater, from Harrington to Lewes, 40 m.; Smyrna and Delaware Bay, from Pierson's Grove to Murray's Junction, 20 ni.; Dela ware Western, from Wilmington to Lundonburg, Pa., 20 In.; Breakwater, and Frank ford and Georgetown, Shelbyville to Georgetown, 19 miles.