# US Dopers: Tell me about Delaware **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 25, 2008, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-tell-me-about-delaware/461191 "2008-08-25T14:02:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2008, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-tell-me-about-delaware/461191/1 "2008-08-25T14:02:19Z")
The US election this year is really piquing my curiosity about some of the lesser-known states. Back in April, as the primary process (briefly) focussed on Indiana, I asked the Dopers for info, because about the only thing I could remember about Indiana was Dan Quayle & Hoosiers: [US Dopers: Tell me about Indiana](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=465708&highlight=indiana). And the Dopers came through, with much info. Now, with the selection of Joe Biden from Delaware, I’ve got even more of a memory gap. I can’t come up with anything about Delaware, other than it’s one of the little squishy ones on the eastern seaboard and (I’m guessing) was one of the 13 colonies. I can’t even say which states it borders. So please, unitedstatesian Dopers - what can you tell me about Delaware? Any notable favourite sons or daughters? Contributions to the Republic over the past two centuries? failing that, how about more modest accomplishments, like its location or nicknames? ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2008, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-tell-me-about-delaware/461191/2 "2008-08-25T14:10:37Z")
Delaware probably has the highest per capita number of large corporation headquarters and law firms that cater to large corporations because their legal system is particularly friendly to large corporations. For those of us in the US, a lot of our junk mail is coming out of Wilmington. ---
**Author:** ![BwanaBob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bwanabob/32/2985_2.png) [@BwanaBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BwanaBob)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2008, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-tell-me-about-delaware/461191/3 "2008-08-25T14:37:34Z")
Delaware was the first colony to ratify the U.S. Constitution - it is literally the First State. ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2008, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-tell-me-about-delaware/461191/4 "2008-08-25T14:41:50Z")
Prior Delaware thread, mostly poking fun at the poor little place: > **[What the heck happens in Delaware?](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=410514)** > > I consider myself pretty knowlegable about the US. Name any of 49 states and i can at least get an image of my head, and while it may be overly simplified it’s at least something. But i got nothing on Delaware. I’ve never been through it. I’ve... They were the first state to ratify the constitution. There’s an interesting circular border with PA - it’s a twelve mile radius originally centered at the New Castle courthouse. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2008, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-tell-me-about-delaware/461191/5 "2008-08-25T14:46:35Z")
[QUOTE=ultrafilter] Delaware probably has the highest per capita number of large corporation headquarters and law firms that cater to large corporations because their legal system is particularly friendly to large corporations. For those of us in the US, a lot of our junk mail is coming out of Wilmington. [/QUOTE] [Light bulb] I knew that, but had forgotten it! So, corporate law is Delaware’s main contribution to the Republic? [QUOTE=BwanaBob] Delaware was the first colony to ratify the U.S. Constitution - it is literally the First State. [/QUOTE] This, I didn’t know. Do they put it on their licence plates? ---
**Author:** ![Huerta88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/82dd89/32.png) [@Huerta88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Huerta88)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2008, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-tell-me-about-delaware/461191/6 "2008-08-25T14:51:37Z")
[QUOTE=Northern Piper] [Light bulb] This, I didn’t know. Do they put it on their licence plates? [/QUOTE] Yes. ---
**Author:** ![Huerta88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/82dd89/32.png) [@Huerta88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Huerta88)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2008, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-tell-me-about-delaware/461191/7 "2008-08-25T14:59:40Z")
Delaware is a somewhat odd mixture of elements within a geographically small range. At the very northern tip, you encounter Wilmington, by far the largest city. It is characterized by numerous corporate offices, inssurance companies, courts, and the other collateral aspects of being a favored corporate headquarters. The city is kind of a pit, no offense. While there no doubt are some Delaware nationalists, as it were, most people seem to regard Wilmington as an extension of Philadelphia. In and around Wilmington will be found a fair degree of industrial plants and campuses, mostly in the medical and chemical industries. A bit more West of Wilmington in Newark, home to the University of Delaware, a pretty good state school that creates a fairly big critical mass of student/faculty types. For purposes of the OP, these folk can probably be regarded as trending fairly liberal. South of Wilmington and Newark, there aren’t many big urban centers. Dover, the state capital, has AFAICT two industries: state government, and hosting Dover Air Force Base. Most of the Southern 2/3 of the state is rural and not terribly affluent. Farming (including huge factory-farms for chickens) is a big employer/industry. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2008, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-tell-me-about-delaware/461191/8 "2008-08-25T15:02:40Z")
[QUOTE=Huerta88] A bit more West of Wilmington in Newark, home to the University of Delaware, a pretty good state school … [/QUOTE] …which, oddly enough, is a major training ground for figure-skating. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2008, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-tell-me-about-delaware/461191/9 "2008-08-25T15:08:28Z")
In the DC universe, Delaware has a major city in its borders: Metropolis. Making Superman a Delawarian. ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2008, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-tell-me-about-delaware/461191/10 "2008-08-25T15:08:54Z")
The circular border has generated endless squabbles with New Jersey because it gives the entire river within the circle to Delaware: > **[Twelve-Mile Circle](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twelve-Mile_Circle)** > > The Twelve-Mile Circle is an approximately circular arc that forms most of the boundary between Delaware and Pennsylvania. It is a combination of different circular arcs that have been feathered together. > It is nominally a circle with an approximate and variable 12-mile (19 km) radius, centered in the town of New Castle, Delaware. In 1750, the center of the circle was fixed at the cupola of the courthouse in New Castle. The Twelve-Mile Circle continues into the Delaware River. A small portion... ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2008, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-tell-me-about-delaware/461191/11 "2008-08-25T15:17:05Z")
[QUOTE=Huerta88] Most of the Southern 2/3 of the state is rural and not terribly affluent. Farming (including huge factory-farms for chickens) is a big employer/industry. [/QUOTE] It’s called “Lower Delaware.” Leading to the derogatory “Slower Delaware.” ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2008, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-tell-me-about-delaware/461191/12 "2008-08-25T15:17:16Z")
Biden is hugely popular in Philly burbs, a major swing area in a major swing state. Wilmington, and all of Northern DE, are essentially part of the greater Philadelphia area, ESPECIALLY politically. Philly burbs are going to play a huge role in how PA goes. It’s a big buzz around the Philly/NJ/DE market. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2008, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-tell-me-about-delaware/461191/13 "2008-08-25T15:20:21Z")
Probably the most famous of the Delaware corporations is the chemical company DuPont, creator of such products as nylon, lycra, and dacron. Some famous DuPonts are Pierre “Pete” DuPont, Representative and then Governor of Delaware, who ran unsuccessfully for the Republican nomination for President in 1988, and John DuPont, an amateur wrestler who, in 1996, shot and killed Olympic wrestler David Schultz and then barricaded himself in his house for two days until police could finally get him. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2008, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-tell-me-about-delaware/461191/14 "2008-08-25T15:27:52Z")
Delaware is one of the only common-law jurisdictions in the world that still has a [Court of Chancery](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delaware_Court_of_Chancery). ---
**Author:** ![BetsQ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/fbc32d/32.png) [@BetsQ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BetsQ)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2008, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-tell-me-about-delaware/461191/15 "2008-08-25T16:04:26Z")
Delaware has some nice beaches, if you like greasy pizza, skee-ball, salt water taffy boardwalk sorts of beaches. A lot of DC folk spend summer weekends at the beach in Delaware. Also, DE does not have a sales tax, so it’s a good place to hit the outlet malls. ---
**Author:** ![Burton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Burton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Burton)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2008, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-tell-me-about-delaware/461191/16 "2008-08-25T16:26:29Z")
It’s pretty nice. Wilmington is not a real pit, not for an East coast city at least. Just north of Wilmington up to Brandywine/Chadds Ford area of PA is really beautiful country and whatever passes for the gentry in America is over represented there. One of my brothers used to live there but recently moved to Chadds Ford right over the line. The sense of the early history of America is strong around DE/PA. ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2008, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-tell-me-about-delaware/461191/17 "2008-08-25T16:34:49Z")
And, of course, she wore a brand new jersey, that’s what Della wore. > **[Perry Como - Delaware lyrics | LyricsFreak](https://www.lyricsfreak.com/p/perry+como/delaware_20106950.html)** > > Read or print original Delaware lyrics 2023 updated! Oh, what did Delaware, boy / What did Delaware / What did Delaware, boy / What did ---
**Author:** ![Huerta88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/82dd89/32.png) [@Huerta88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Huerta88)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2008, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-tell-me-about-delaware/461191/18 "2008-08-25T16:36:39Z")
[QUOTE=Burton] Wilmington is not a real pit, not for an East coast city at least. [/QUOTE] I may have been a bit unfair. By day, it’s a relatively bustling commercial city, and the downtown is clean-ish. My assessment was based mainly on the fact that (a) it seems to have a substantial underclass/ghetto component as well; and (b) after dark, downtown is absolutely dead. It’s not a large city at all, population wise (72,000), so that makes it seem a little more dreary, I guess. The suburbs and surrounding countryside are indeed nice in places, and you are right to note the affluence (both old money and well-paid pharma people, AFAICT). ---
**Author:** ![Burton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Burton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Burton)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2008, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-tell-me-about-delaware/461191/19 "2008-08-25T16:44:56Z")
What East coast city doesn’t have a ghetto? I live in Annapolis, which has one of the highest concentrations of public housing relative to the overall population anywhere. Wilmington has some night life. The opera house and surrounding area seemed pretty nice last time I was there. I think there’s some stuff down on the river too. ---
**Author:** ![Bytegeist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9dc877/32.png) [@Bytegeist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bytegeist)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2008, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-tell-me-about-delaware/461191/20 "2008-08-25T18:59:30Z")
Speaking only as someone who’s wants to speed through Delaware as efficiently as possible… In Delaware lies one of the most expensive segments of the interstate highway system. I-95 clips the northern part of the state for a mere 10 miles or so. Nevertheless, there’s a toll charge of $4 — _ **four** dollars_ — to drive over that little bit of road. If you’re like me, occasionally driving from central Maryland to New England and back, then you’re paying $8 for the privilege of transecting Delaware. You can conceivably spend more time waiting at the toll booth to pay than you do driving down the bit of road you just paid for. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-tell-me-about-delaware/461191.md?page=2)