{"id":476,"date":"2018-06-20T04:00:36","date_gmt":"2018-06-20T04:00:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/?p=476"},"modified":"2018-06-24T18:54:39","modified_gmt":"2018-06-24T18:54:39","slug":"the-first-state-delaware","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/the-first-state-delaware\/","title":{"rendered":"The First State – Delaware"},"content":{"rendered":"

With Delaware we begin our journey through the states and territories of the United States.\u00a0 I briefly considered taking this journey in an alphabetical manner, but it occured to me that I go to pains to include some level of history in all of my flag blog posts that discuss flags of nations especially, so I decided to adopt an historical approach by flying the, and blogging about, the flags of the states and territories in order of their admission to the Union, in the case of states (ignoring readmission dates for those states which seceded during the Civil War) and date of acquisition for the territories.\u00a0 Utilizing this ordering system, I will start with Delaware, the first state to ratify the United States Constitution.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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United States and Delaware Flag on Our Flagpole<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Once all states have been covered then I will delve into the territories, or at least those that have flags associated with them, official or not.\u00a0 This promises to be a lengthy undertaking as we journey through the United States which is a large country with much to discuss.<\/p>\n

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Map of Delaware<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Delaware is a small state, the second smallest, with only Rhode Island being smaller, as well as being the sixth least populous, but also the sixth most densely populated.<\/p>\n

Located on the Atlantic coastline, Delaware is considered part of the Mid Atlantic region of the United States.\u00a0 It is bordered by Pennsylvania to the north, Maryland to the west and south, and there is a water boundary with New Jersey to the east.<\/p>\n

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Delaware on United States Map<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Not surprisingly, Delaware was home to Native American peoples before the arrival of the Europeans.\u00a0 These people were of the Eastern Algonquian tribes known as the Unami Lenape, or Delaware, who lived mostly along the coast, and the Nanticoke who occupied much of the southern Delmarva Peninsula.<\/p>\n

After the defeat of the local tribes in the 1670s, many of the native peoples left Delaware and migrated to the areas west of the\u00a0Alleghany Mountains by the mid-18th century.\u00a0 Generally, those who did not relocate out of the state of Delaware were baptized, became Christian and were grouped together with other persons of color in official records and in the minds of their non-Native American neighbors.<\/p>\n

According to multiple reliable sources:<\/p>\n

“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.\u00a0 Within a year all the settlers were killed in a dispute with area Native American tribes.\u00a0 In 1638 New Sweden, a Swedish trading post and colony, was established at Fort Christina (now in Wilmington).<\/p>\n

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New Sweden<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The colony of New Sweden lasted for 17 years. In 1651 the Dutch, reinvigorated by the leadership of Peter Stuyvesant, established a fort at present-day New Castle, and in 1655 they conquered the New Sweden colony, annexing it into the Dutch New Netherland.\u00a0 Only nine years later, in 1664, the Dutch were conquered by a fleet of English ships by Sir Robert Carr under the direction of James, the Duke of York.\u00a0 Fighting off a prior claim by Cecil Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore, Proprietor of Maryland, the Duke passed his somewhat dubious ownership on to William Penn in 1682. Penn strongly desired access to the sea for his Pennsylvania province and leased what then came to be known as the “Lower Counties on the Delaware” from the Duke.<\/p>\n

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Delaware Field<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Dependent in early years on indentured labor, Delaware imported more slaves as the number of English immigrants decreased with better economic conditions in England. The colony became a slave society and cultivated tobacco as a cash crop, although English immigrants continued to arrive.<\/p>\n

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Peaches in Delaware<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Like the other middle colonies, the Lower Counties on the Delaware initially showed little enthusiasm for a break with Britain. The citizenry had a good relationship with the Proprietary government, and generally were allowed more independence of action in their Colonial Assembly than in other colonies. Merchants at the port of Wilmington had trading ties with the British.<\/p>\n

New Castle lawyer Thomas McKean denounced the Stamp Act in the strongest terms, and Kent County native John Dickinson became the “Penman of the Revolution.” Anticipating the Declaration of Independence, Patriot leaders Thomas McKean and Caesar Rodney convinced the Colonial Assembly to declare itself separated from British and Pennsylvania rule on June 15, 1776.<\/p>\n

Following the American Revolution, statesmen from Delaware were among the leading proponents of a strong central United States with equal representation for each state.”<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The Delaware of today, while still maintaining an active agricultural sector is better known as the home of large corporations due to the ease of incorporation in Delaware coupled with favorable taxation rates.\u00a0 In fact, there are more corporations listing Delaware as their headquarters for purposes of regulation and taxation than there are citizens of the state.<\/p>\n

The northern part of the state is the most heavily populated and many of those people are commuters who work in or around the nearby large city of Philadelphia.<\/p>\n

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Delaware Population Density<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Delaware does not have a commercial airport and its capital city, Dover, is the only state capital without commercial airline services, although it has a close competitor in this area since Pierre, South Dakota is only served by one carrier.<\/p>\n

Delaware also has a tourist industry built around the Atlantic beaches as well as touring and tasting in the southern agricultural regions.<\/p>\n

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Rehobeth Beach<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Put simply, Delaware is a small place with a lot to see and do despite its size.<\/p>\n

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Delaware Pond<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Delaware state flag features a field of colonial blue (arno blue Cable No. 10663 as designated designated by the Textile Color Card Association of the United States, Inc., New York) with a buff-colored diamond with the coat of arms of the state of Delaware inside the diamond.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Delaware State Flag<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The date immediately below the diamond, December 7, 1787, commemorates the date on which Delaware became the first state to ratify the United States Constitution.\u00a0 The colors of the flag are said to reflect the colors of the uniform of General George Washington.<\/p>\n

The Delaware coat of arms adopted on January 17, 1777.\u00a0 It depicts a shield of horizontal green, blue, and white stripes. On the stripes are a sheaf of wheat, an ear of corn, and an ox standing on grass, all representing Delaware’s agriculture. Above the shield is a sailing ship. Supporting the shield are a farmer on the left and a soldier on the right. The state motto, below the shield, reads “Liberty and Independence”. These symbols are also included on the seal of Delaware.<\/p>\n

The current flag was adopted on July 24, 1913.<\/p>\n

Our next adventure in flags will move us back, briefly, into the realm of popular culture and social groupings.\u00a0 We will, shortly, resume our journey through the states of the United States!\u00a0 Keep checking here and keep flying proudly.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

With Delaware we begin our journey through the states and territories of the United States.\u00a0 I briefly considered taking this […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":477,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[5,6,7,41,43,40,42],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/476"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=476"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/476\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/477"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=476"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=476"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=476"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}