Delaware - School-Age
Delaware
1st State (December 7, 1787), northeast U.S.
State Abbreviation: DE
Capital: Dover
Origin of name: From the Delaware River and Bay, which were named for Sir Thomas West, Lord De La Warr.
Motto: Liberty and Independence
Nickname: The First State, Diamond State, Blue Hen State
Size: 1,982 square miles
Delaware State Symbols
Delaware State Symbols
Information Sheet and Color Pages (pdf)
Delaware State Bird and State Flower Printable Color Page.
Delaware: State Seal
Bug: Lady Bug
Beverage: Milk
Bird: Blue Hen Chicken
Butterfly: Tiger Swallowtail
Colors: Colonial blue and buff
Fish: Weakfish
Flower: Peach Blossom
Fossil: Belemnite
Macroinvertebrate: Stonefly
Marine Animal: Horseshoe Crab
Mineral: Sillimanite
Song: Our Delaware
Tree: American Holly
Wildlife Animal: Grey Fox
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Things to Know
United States Senators from Delaware.
The original inhabitants of Delaware where the Lenni Lenape (also known as the Delaware) and the Nanticoke.
One of the original 13 colonies.
Delaware was the first state to ratify the new constitution of the United States of America on December 7, 1787.
Delaware is the second smallest state.
One of Delaware's most important transportation arteries is the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal, which has been deepened and straightened for ocean shipping. It shortens the water route between Philadelphia and Baltimore by several hundred miles.
Major Rivers: Delaware River, Mispillion River, Nanticoke River
Famous Delawareans
Oliver Evans (1755-1819), inventor.
Howard Pyle (1853-1911), author of The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood, artist, illustrator, and teacher.
Annie Jump Cannon (1863-1941), Astronomer
Oh, Be A Fine Girl--Kiss Me! (OBAFGKM)A mnemonic device used by students and astronomers to learn the spectral classification of stars developed by Annie Jump Cannon.
Eldridge Reeves Johnson, (1867-1945), inventor of the phonograph. He started the Victor Talking Machine Company. The company was acquired by RCA in 1929.
Henry Heimlich (1920-2016), surgeon and inventor, developed the Heimlich Maneuver to save choking victims.
Things to Do
Delaware Flag Map color page
Sites to See
The Holly Industry The holly industry was important to Delaware's economy. This importance was recognized in 1939, when the American Holly was designated as the state tree.
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