History & Heritage

Shaped by forces as old and as powerful as those that shaped the nation itself, Delaware’s history and heritage is a tale of passionate struggles, of vast fortunes, and of a people who helped forge America’s identity as a fiercely independent and thoroughly patriotic nation. Here, you will see the stories of the Native Americans who lived on the state’s shores for millennia, and follow the struggles of early settlers who would help lead the Colonies’ fight for independence. Here, you can step inside a mid-river Civil War fort, or follow the trail to freedom for thousands of slaves on the Underground Railroad. In Delaware, it’s possible to stand on the site where the DuPont Co.’s amazing story (and the DuPont family’s enormous fortunes) began, and then visit the place where Methodism in America was born – all in the same afternoon.