Delaware

The name of one of the original states of the United States of America, being the flrsl to adopt the constitution. In 16:13, Corn lius May, with some Dutch emigrants, established a trading-house, but the settlers soon removed to North river. Ten years afterwards De Vries arrived at Cape Henlopen, but the natives shortly destroyed the settlement. In the spring of 1638 the Swedes under Minult established a settlement at the mouth of the Minquas river, which was called by them the Christiana, in honor of their queen. They purchased all the lauds from Cape Henlopen to the falls near Trenton, and named the country New Sweden. Stuyvesant, the Dutch governor of New York, ended the Swedish authority in 1654. The Dutch held the country until 1 fell Into the hands of the English, and was granted by Charles II. to his brother James, Duke of York. In 16SH, William Penn obtained a patent from the Duke of York, releasing all his title claimed through his patent from the crown to a portion of the territory. By this grant Penn became possessed of New Castle and the land lying within a circle of twelve miles around it, and subsequently of a tract of land beginning twelve miles south of New Castle and extending to Cape Henlopen. In consequence of a dispute between Penn and Lord Baltimore, the south and west lines, dividing his possessions from Maryland, were traced in 1761, under a decree of Lord- Chancellor Hardwicke, by the surveyors Mason and Dixon; and this line, extended westward between Maryland and Pennsylvania, has become historical as Mason and Dixon's Line (q. v.). Delaware was divided into three counties, called New Castle, Kent, and Sussex, and by enactment of Penn was annexed to Pennsylvania under the name of the Three Lower Counties upon Delaware. These counties remained for twenty years a part of Pennsylvania, each county sending six delegates to the general assembly. They separated in 1703, with the consent of the proprietary, and were governed by a separate legislature of their own, pursuant to the liberty reserved to them by a clause of their original charter. Delaware was the first state to ratify the federal constitution, on December 7, 1787. In 1776 a state constitution was framed, a second In 1792, and a third in 1831, which remained In force until 1897. The agitation for constitutional changes was begun before 1850, and in 1S53 a convention was held and a constitution adopted which was, on submission to a popular vote, defeated. After the civil war the efforts to obtain a convention were resumed, but were unsuccessful until 1896. The present constitution was adopted June 4, 1897, by a constitutional convention which was duly called to meet in December, 1896, delegates having been elected at the general election of that year. The constitution contains the usual declaration of rights, no change being made in that article. Minor amendments were adopted in 19H. relating to the legislative Journals and the judiciary.