Why is Delaware called The First State?
Delaware earned the nickname "The First State" by being the first to ratify the United States Constitution, on the 7th of December 1787.
Questions about Delaware
Short answers, pulled from the story.
Who is Delaware named after?
Delaware is named after Thomas West, 3rd Baron De La Warr (1577-1618), the first colonial-era governor of Virginia. The adjacent Delaware Bay was named for him, and the state, river, and even the Lenape people acquired the name through that same source.
Why do so many companies incorporate in Delaware?
More than half of all publicly traded U.S. companies and 63% of the Fortune 500 are incorporated in Delaware because of its business-friendly corporation law, the specialized Court of Chancery for corporate disputes, and broad legal discretion granted to corporate boards. Franchise taxes on Delaware corporations supply about a fifth of the state's revenue.
What role did Caesar Rodney play in the American Revolution?
Caesar Rodney made an overnight ride to the Continental Congress in 1776 to break a delegation deadlock, casting the vote that allowed Delaware to support the Declaration of Independence. Without his ride, Delaware's vote might have been withheld, as delegation member George Read refused to vote for independence.
When did Delaware ratify the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments?
Delaware rejected all three amendments shortly after they were proposed, rejecting the 13th on the 8th of February 1865, the 14th on the 8th of February 1867, and the 15th on the 18th of March 1869. The state did not officially ratify all three until the 12th of February 1901, decades after they had already become federal law.
What is the A.U.M.P. Church and where was it founded?
The A.U.M.P. Church, formally the African Union First Colored Methodist Protestant Church and Connection, is the oldest African-American denomination in the nation. It was founded in Wilmington, Delaware, by freed slave Peter Spencer, who chartered it in 1813 and called the first Big August Quarterly gathering in 1814.