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Jun 10, 2011 · Delaware still permitted slavery at the time of the war, though the number of slaves—1,800, compared to 20,000 free blacks—was dwarfed by that of most other slave-holding states. There was a strong abolition movement in the state as well, Wright notes. Some Delaware residents, both whites and free and enslaved blacks, were actively involved ...
May 10, 2011 · Published May 10, 2011 at 4:59 PM EDT. April 12 th, 1861, the first shots were fired at Fort Sumter, South Carolina, officially starting the Civil War. Delaware was a slave state, but ended up supporting the Union forces in a four-year conflict that claimed the lives of more than 600,000 people.
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Folder 2—Fort Delaware, miscellaneous –“Prisoners of War in Fort Delaware, May 1864: Brave and Distinguished Southerners in a Union prison.” –Trees growing through Civil War gun carriage –Sketch of Pea Patch Island and Fort Delaware, Nov. 1, 1864 –From Harper’s Weekly, June 27, 1863: “Prisoners arriving at Ft. Delaware.”
- Overview
- Slavery, the Civil War, and Reconstruction
- Influence of the du Pont family
- Development of the contemporary state
Throughout the first half of the 19th century, Delawareans became increasingly divided over the issue of slavery. Induced by both economic and religious motives, many slave owners freed their bondsmen during those years, but a few stubbornly refused. Delaware was a crossroads where abolitionists maintained a thriving line of the Underground Railroad to assist escapees, while other Delawareans engaged in the equally illegal capture of free blacks to be shipped southward into slavery. Thus, in 1860, on the eve of the American Civil War, the number of slaves in Delaware had been reduced to about 1,800, while the number of the state’s free blacks had grown to some 20,000.
Although Pres. Abraham Lincoln’s policy of refusing to recognize secession did not find favour with a majority of Delawareans, the state never seriously considered joining the Confederacy. Many Delawareans favoured the Union cause, although men from the state served in the armies of both sides. Fort Delaware, built on a small island in the Delaware River to protect Wilmington and Philadelphia in the 1850s, became one of the Union’s major prisoner-of-war camps.
Throughout the first half of the 19th century, Delawareans became increasingly divided over the issue of slavery. Induced by both economic and religious motives, many slave owners freed their bondsmen during those years, but a few stubbornly refused. Delaware was a crossroads where abolitionists maintained a thriving line of the Underground Railroad to assist escapees, while other Delawareans engaged in the equally illegal capture of free blacks to be shipped southward into slavery. Thus, in 1860, on the eve of the American Civil War, the number of slaves in Delaware had been reduced to about 1,800, while the number of the state’s free blacks had grown to some 20,000.
Although Pres. Abraham Lincoln’s policy of refusing to recognize secession did not find favour with a majority of Delawareans, the state never seriously considered joining the Confederacy. Many Delawareans favoured the Union cause, although men from the state served in the armies of both sides. Fort Delaware, built on a small island in the Delaware River to protect Wilmington and Philadelphia in the 1850s, became one of the Union’s major prisoner-of-war camps.
In the early 20th century the du Pont family and their gunpowder company dominated Delaware’s development. The DuPont Company, the country’s largest producer of explosives, earned enormous profits through its sales to both the United States and its allies during World War I. Several du Ponts used their wealth to benefit the state. T. Coleman du Pon...
During the second half of the 20th century, Delaware changed significantly. Population flowed from Wilmington to its suburbs. Resort and retirement communities developed along the Atlantic coast in the southeast portion of the state. Decisions of the U.S. Supreme Court integrated the state’s public schools and established a more equitable distribution of seats in the state legislature. Delaware became a leader in environmentalism when it adopted its Coastal Zone Act in 1971 to prevent heavy industrialization along the coast. Credit-card banking replaced the chemical industry as the leading private employer in the state.
Politically, the state is a bellwether in presidential elections. In elections for offices at the state level, Delawareans tend to vote for candidates on the basis of their qualifications as individuals rather than as representatives of their respective parties. Nationally prominent Delawareans in politics have included Senators William V. Roth, a Republican known for the Roth IRA, and Joseph Biden, a leading Democrat. In 2001 Delaware elected its first female governor, Ruth Ann Minner.
During the Civil War, Fort Delaware, on Pea Patch Island in Delaware City, housed roughly 33,000 prisoners-of-war, mainly Confederate soldiers. The prisoners had few resources and little contact with the outside world. Julia Jefferson of New Castle and her friends wanted Delaware to support the Confederacy.
State of Delaware - The Civil War in Delaware - Archives. A variety of resources are provided for researchers and the general public, including: Records Related to Delaware's Involvement in the Civil War. Volumes & Books of Union Soldiers of Delaware. Photographs, Broadsides, Lithographs, Maps, and Diaries. Follow the Civil War through the eyes ...
RG 8005.046 Department of Public Instruction Motion Pictures“Delaware in the Civil War: Splitting of the Diamond.”. A black-and-white film, approximately 15 minutes long, focusing on Delaware’s duality as a border state. The film discusses both the Union and Confederate factions in the state, the resulting debates in the state legislature ...
