Delaware Education

Universities I Colleges I Schools I Private Training I English Schools

Although it is a small state, overshadowed by such nearby urban centers as Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Maryland, and Philadelphia, Delaware has a number of educational and cultural institutions.

Education
The state legislature created a public education fund in 1796, but it was not until 1829 that a public school system was established in Delaware. In the late 1980s, the state had about 170 public elementary and secondary schools. About 70,700 pupils attended public elementary schools per year, and about 27,100 students were enrolled in public secondary schools. In addition, some 17,800 students attended private schools.
The first state institution of higher education, Newark College (now the University of Delaware, at Newark) was founded in 1833. In the late 1980s, Delaware had ten institutions of higher education, with a combined enrollment of more than 40,000 students. Among the most notable of these schools, besides the University of Delaware, were Delaware State College (1891) and Wesley College (1873), both in Dover; Goldey-Beacom College (1886), in Wilmington; and Wilmington College (1967), in New Castle.

Delaware, one of the South Atlantic states of the United States, bounded on the north by Pennsylvania, on the east by the Delaware River, Delaware Bay, and the Atlantic Ocean, and on the south and west by Maryland.
Delaware is known as the First State because on December 7, 1787, it became the first of the original 13 states to ratify the U.S. Constitution and thereby enter the Union. In the 1990s Delaware's economy was dominated by services and manufacturing; the state was noted as the home of the huge E. I. du Pont de Nemours & Company chemical firm. The state is named after Delaware Bay and the Delaware River, both named in honor of Thomas West, 3rd baron De La Warr, the first colonial governor of Virginia.

Land and Resources
Delaware, the second smallest state of the U.S., has an area of 6447 sq km (2489 sq mi); 2.4 percent of its land area is owned by the federal government. The state is roughly triangular in shape, and its extreme dimensions are about 154 km (about 96 mi) from north to south and about 58 km (about 36 mi) from east to west. Elevations range from sea level to 135 m (442 ft) atop an unnamed hill at the northern end of the state. The approximate mean elevation is 18 m (60 ft), lower than that of any other state. Delaware's Atlantic coast extends 45 km (28 mi); it has 613 km (381 mi) of tidal shoreline.

Physical Geography
About 95 percent of Delaware lies on the Delmarva Peninsula, in the Atlantic Coastal Plain, atop a wedge of sands, silts, and clays that thickens toward the southeast, reaching a depth of about 3000 m (about 9850 ft) at the Atlantic shoreline. No point is higher than 30 m (100 ft) in the coastal plain; the soils there generally have a low natural fertility. Extensive areas of wetlands occur along the eastern fringes of the state, and Cedar Swamp is in the southern interior. Delaware's northern tip, part of the Piedmont Plateau, is an area of rolling hills, underlain by metamorphic rock, with summits typically 75 to 125 m (246 to 410 ft) high. The soils in this area are somewhat more fertile than those of the coastal plain.

Rivers and Lakes
No large rivers are found in the interior of Delaware, but the northeastern boundary of the state is formed by the lower Delaware River and its estuary, Delaware Bay. Most of the state's streams flow east toward the Delaware River, Delaware Bay, or the Atlantic Ocean; these streams include the Christina, Smyrna, Leipsic, Saint Jones, Broadkill, and Indian rivers. The western and southern fringes of the state, especially the southwestern corner, are drained west toward Chesapeake Bay; the Nanticoke River is in this region. Delaware has no large lakes, but several of its small water bodies are used for swimming and fishing.

Climate
Delaware has a humid, temperate climate, with little variation from place to place. Winter temperatures average about 1.7° C (about 35° F), but daily minimum temperatures fall below freezing (0° C/ 32° F) about 100 days per year. The average summer temperature in Delaware is about 24° C (about 75° F); the maximum daily temperature exceeds 32.2° C (90° F) on about 30 days each year. The recorded temperature in Delaware has ranged from -27.2° C (-17° F), in 1893, to 43.3° C (110° F), in 1930; both readings were taken at Millsboro. The yearly growing season lasts about 190 days. Average annual precipitation in Delaware amounts to about 1145 mm (about 45 in), distributed evenly throughout the year. Snowfall averages less than 508 mm (20 in) a year, and when snow does fall, it usually stays on the ground only a few days.

Plants and Animals
About 30 percent of Delaware is forested, with oak and pine forests predominating in the coastal plain and oak and tulip tree forests predominating in the Piedmont Plateau region. Common trees include red, white, and willow oak; shagbark, mockernut, pignut, and bitternut hickory; loblolly, Virginia, and pitch pine; tulip tree; sweet gum; and red maple. The state also has many kinds of rhododendron, holly, water lilies, and wild flowers. White-tailed deer, red and gray fox, raccoon, skunk, opossum, cottontail rabbit, groundhog, gray squirrel, woodchuck, and muskrat live in most parts of the state, as do a variety of birds. Delaware Bay is an important wintering area for waterfowl. It is also a fishing area, yielding striped bass, bluefish, alewives, menhaden, flounder, shad, Norfolk spot, perch, blue crabs, and oysters.

Mineral Resources
The only significant mineral resources in Delaware are sand and gravel. These are found throughout the state, but the major deposits are in the north. Deposits of magnesium compounds, clays, gemstones, and iron ore are of minor importance.

Population
According to the 1990 census, Delaware had 666,168 inhabitants, an increase of 12.1 percent over 1980. The average population density in 1990 was 103 people per sq km (268 per sq mi). The greater part of the population was concentrated in the northern half of the state. Whites accounted for 80.3 percent of the population and blacks 16.9 percent; additional population groups included 2301 persons of Chinese descent, 2183 persons of Asian Indian background, and 1982 Native Americans. Nearly 16,000 persons were of Hispanic ancestry. Methodists (26.5 percent) and Roman Catholics (26.4 percent) were the leading religious groups in Delaware. In 1990 approximately 73 percent of Delaware's residents lived in areas defined as urban, the rest lived in rural areas. Wilmington was, by far, the state's largest city. Other cities and towns were Dover, the capital; Newark; Milford; and Elsmere.


Cultural Institutions
Delaware has several noted cultural institutions. Best known are the Henry Francis du Pont Winterthur Museum, near Wilmington, displaying, in more than 150 period rooms, American decorative arts between 1640 and 1840, and the Hagley Museum, in Wilmington, featuring American industry. Also of note are the Delaware Museum of Natural History, in Greenville; the Delaware Art Museum, in Wilmington; and the Delaware State Museum, in Dover. The state's two major public libraries are the Delaware State Library, in Dover, and the Wilmington Institute Free Library.

Historical Sites
Many of Delaware's historical sites date from before the American Revolution. Among these are the Old Dutch House, in New Castle; the John Dickinson Mansion, near Dover; and the Holy Trinity (Old Swedes) Church (1698), in Wilmington. The Zwaanendael Museum, in Lewes, commemorates the arrival of the Dutch founders of the town in 1631.

Sports and Recreation
Delaware's fine ocean beaches make it a center for outdoor activities, such as swimming, boating, and fishing. Although Rehoboth Beach is considered the recreational capital of the state, Bethany Beach and Fenwick Island are also popular. The state also has several major horse-racing tracks, including Dover Downs, in Dover.

Communications
Delaware has ten AM and eleven FM radiobroadcasting stations and three television stations. The state's first radio station, WDEL, in Wilmington, began operations in 1922. The Delaware Gazette, or, the Faithful Centinel, the first successful newspaper in the state, began publication in 1785, in Wilmington. In the early 1990s, Delaware had two daily newspapers—the News Journal, published in Wilmington, and the Delaware State News, published in Dover—with a total daily circulation of about 144,700.

Government and Politics
Delaware is governed under a constitution of 1897, as amended. Three earlier constitutions had been adopted in 1776, 1792, and 1831. An amendment to the constitution may be proposed by the state legislature or by a constitutional convention. Delaware is the only state of the U.S. that does not require a popular vote for the ratification of an amendment to the constitution.

Executive
The chief executive of Delaware is a governor, who is popularly elected to a 4-year term and may not serve more than two terms. The lieutenant governor, who succeeds the governor should the latter resign, die, or be removed from office, is also elected to a 4-year term but is not limited to two terms. Other elected state executive officers are the attorney general, treasurer, auditor, and insurance commissioner.

Legislature
The bicameral Delaware General Assembly is composed of a senate and a house of representatives. The 21 members of the senate are popularly elected to 4-year terms, and the 41 members of the house are popularly elected to 2-year terms.

Judiciary
Delaware's highest court, the supreme court, is made up of a chief justice and four associate judges. The major trial courts are the court of chancery and the superior court. Judges of all these courts are appointed by the governor, with the consent of the state senate, to 12-year terms.

Local Government
Delaware is divided into three counties, each of which is governed by a council plus either an elected executive or an appointed administrator. The counties are divided into units called hundreds for assessment and tax purposes.

National Representation
Delaware elects two senators and one representative to the U.S. Congress. The state has three electoral votes in presidential elections.

Politics
An era of Democratic party prominence after the Civil War was followed by a period of Republican predominance during the first third of the 20th century. In contests for the governorship as well as in presidential elections, the two major parties have been about equally balanced since the mid-1930s.

Economy
Delaware is a small but prosperous state, the economy of which benefits from the large urban markets nearby. Since the 19th century, manufacturing has been the state's leading economic activity, and in the early 1990s many persons were also employed by firms engaged in commerce or in providing services and by government agencies. Partly because of Delaware's relatively lenient corporate-tax laws, many businesses are incorporated in the state even though virtually all their activities are carried on elsewhere.

Agriculture
Delaware contains about 2900 farms, which have an average size of 80 hectares (197 acres). More than 70 percent of its relatively small farm income is derived from the sale of livestock and livestock products, and the rest comes from the sale of crops. The state is a major U.S. producer of broiler chickens and poultry products and also supplies dairy items and potatoes and other vegetables for sale in nearby cities. Sussex County, where poultry production is concentrated, ranks among the top agricultural counties in the nation in terms of the value of production. Corn is raised in Delaware mainly for livestock feed, and soybeans, apples, nuts, melons, and berries are also important crops.

Forestry and Fishing
Lumbering in Delaware is practiced on a small scale, largely in woodlots scattered through farmland. Saw logs of yellow pine, red oak, and sweet gum are harvested, and yellow poplar and other trees are cut for making veneers. The state also produces limited amounts of pulpwood.
The fishing industry in Delaware annually lands a catch worth about $3 million. Crabs are the most valuable catch, but oysters, clams, and sea trout are also important.

Mining
The small mining sector of Delaware's economy is dominated by the production of sand and gravel. Magnesium compounds are extracted from seawater for use in various pharmaceutical products.

Manufacturing
Delaware's economy relies heavily on manufacturing, which accounted for the employment of more than 70,000 persons in the early 1990s. The state has a history as an important center of the chemical industry, and it remains a leading chemical research center. E. I. du Pont de Nemours & Company, an important chemical manufacturing firm, has its headquarters in Wilmington, which is Delaware's chief manufacturing hub. Chemicals and related items, such as synthetic textiles, are the state's leading products. Also important are motor vehicles and parts, processed food, precision instruments, rubber and plastic goods, printed items, and industrial equipment.

Tourism
Tourism annually contributes more that $750 million to the state's economy. Delaware's ocean beaches are popular attractions for people from nearby urban areas, and its resort centers, such as Bethany Beach, Fenwick Island, and Rehoboth Beach, are heavily populated throughout the summer. Delaware maintains 11 state parks and 13 major wildlife areas.

Transportation
Delaware is served by some 8750 km (some 5440 mi) of roads, including 66 km (41 mi) of the interstate highway system. Major highways link the urban northern part of the state with the coast and the southern agricultural region. The first railroad was completed in the early 1830s, and today about 360 km (about 225 mi) of Class I railroad tracks are in use. Water transport plays an important role in the state's economy, with freight moving on the Delaware River and the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal, which links the Delaware River with Chesapeake Bay. Wilmington is the chief deepwater port. There are 20 airports and 12 heliports; the busiest airport is near New Castle.

Energy
Electricity generating facilities in Delaware have a total capacity of about 2.0 million kw and produce about 7.1 billion kwh of electricity each year. Almost all the power is produced by installations burning petroleum products or coal.

History
The Lenni Lenape people, later known as Delawares to the English, occupied what is now the state of Delaware before the coming of the Europeans. As white settlements began to encroach on their hunting lands, they gradually moved to Pennsylvania, Ohio, and finally beyond the Mississippi River.

The Colonial and Revolutionary Periods
The first European known to have visited Delaware was the English explorer Henry Hudson, who located the Delaware River in 1609. A year later, when the English adventurer Samuel Argall entered the bay, he named the area after the governor of Virginia, Lord De La Warr. The first permanent settlement, Fort Christina (present-day Wilmington), was established in 1638 by a group of Swedes. It came into being as a joint business venture by Dutch and Swedish interests after former members of the Dutch West India Company interested Gustav II Adolph, king of Sweden, in colonization. The resulting colony was called New Sweden. Finns constituted a good portion of the settlers; they and the Swedes introduced the construction of log houses to America.
Considering it a commercial rival, Governor. Peter Stuyvesant of New Netherland occupied New Sweden in 1655 and renamed it New Amstel. The Dutch were followed by the English, who seized the settlements in 1664. Under English rule, Delaware was at first governed as part of the proprietary colony of New York, and the town of New Castle was the local governmental center.
After 1682, Delaware became part of Pennsylvania and was referred to as the Lower Counties or the Territories. After 1704 the Lower Counties established their own independent legislature. In addition to the English, large numbers of indentured Scotch-Irish settled in the area before the American Revolution. A continued labor shortage led to a slave trade, which flourished until it was prohibited by state law in 1776.
The Lower Counties reluctantly moved toward independence along with the other colonies. In 1776 they adopted a constitution as the state of Delaware. During the Revolution the British occupied Wilmington, seizing the public treasury, and Delaware Bay was blockaded by the Royal Navy.

The State of Delaware
On December 7, 1787, Delaware became the first state to ratify the U.S. Constitution. A new state constitution was adopted in 1792. In politics, the state remained solidly Federalist until 1820. Soon after the Revolution, Quaker and Methodist groups moved to eliminate slavery in the state. As of 1790, blacks constituted 21.6 percent of the population. Although abolition was not forthcoming, many owners freed their slaves before 1840.
During the War of 1812, British vessels patrolled Delaware Bay, shelled the port of Lewes, and carried out raids along the shores of the Chesapeake. At that time the munitions industry was already important in the state's economy, largely because of the gunpowder factory founded near Wilmington in 1802 by the Franco-American industrialist Eleuthère Irénée du Pont de Nemours. This was the beginning of what was to be Delaware's most important industry, the Du Pont Chemical Company.
With an increasing Northern commercial orientation, Delaware sided with the Union during the American Civil War, but many of the state's residents were Confederate sympathizers; units of the state militia were twice disarmed because of presumed disloyalty. Delaware retained slavery until it was abolished by the 13th Amendment in 1865. State representatives in Congress so opposed Reconstruction policies that Delaware was labeled as part of the “Solid South.” Within the state, the ruling Democrats maintained black disfranchisement through property and capitation taxes. In 1872 President Ulysses S. Grant ordered federal troops into Delaware to supervise elections.
After the Civil War, a major demographic change occurred. The state's natives left in large numbers and were replaced by Irish Roman Catholics and Germans. Concentrated in urban areas, the Irish joined the Democratic party but opposed some of its pro-Southern policies.
As time went on the du Pont gunpowder works diversified its activities and became a national corporation. Transportation facilities enhanced Delaware's move toward industrialization. Serviced by the Pennsylvania and the Baltimore and Ohio railroads and local subsidiaries, Delaware's agricultural and industrial products were readily carried to market. By 1920, new industries such as synthetics and mass poultry production, along with continued growth in older industries, brought new immigrants such as the Italians, Poles, and Russian Jews. The Great Depression ended this influx.
After World War II a significant population shift again occurred with the migration of blacks to urban areas. The University of Delaware was integrated in 1948, and the public school system during the 1950s. Some racial tensions, however, were evident throughout the 1960s.
Delaware's economy benefited from expansion in the chemical, automotive, petrochemical, synthetics, and banking industries. Lenient incorporation laws have encouraged the establishment of many company headquarters within the state since the 1970s