The foundation of Delaware’s democracy is its General Assembly. A body that has governed both the colony and state of Delaware for over three hundred years, it has been the voice of the people in our government and has affected almost every aspect of our lives. Dr. Carol Hoffecker’s “Democracy in Delaware” discusses the role […]

The history of the Revolutionary War is full of heroes, men like George Washington, Marquis de Lafayette, and Nathanial Greene. Although many have been immortalized in song and verse, others have fallen into obscurity. Allen McLane is one such hero, serving as a soldier, a spy, a statesman, and more. This book, written as a […]

The son of a Delaware Revolutionary War veteran, Thomas Macdonough would serve with distinction in the War of 1812. After the climactic Battle of Lake Champlain, Macdonough would go down in history as one of Delaware greatest military heroes. In her biography, Virginia M. Burdick discusses the life and times of Captain Macdonough and tells […]

Delaware was the first state to ratify the Constitution but possibly the last state to settle its boundaries. Delaware has the distinction of the being the only state with a round border and the only state that lies completely east of the Mason-Dixon Line. Roger E. Nathan’s work discusses how Delaware’s territory changed during the […]

When Pete DuPont was elected governor in 1977, Delaware was facing and severe economic downturn, substantial budget deficits, and the second-highest unemployment rate in the nation. Despite these challenges, the DuPont administration would achieve long-lasting solutions to the State’s woes and improve the lives of Delaware’s citizens. Larry Nagengast’s history of the DuPont administration is […]

The month of June is Caribbean-American Heritage Month—a month dedicated to recognizing and celebrating the significance of Caribbean people and their descendants in the history and culture of the United States. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, as of June 2019, the Caribbean-American population of the U.S. was more than 13 million. “Caribbean Americans have […]

William Hare operated the largest pottery business in Delaware, despite not having a large, industrialized operation. Christopher Espenshade’s study of Hare’s work provides insight into Delaware’s pottery industry, 19th-century changes in pottery products, and the development of the modern city of Wilmington. William Hare: Master Potter of Wilmington, Delaware, 1839-1885 – by Christopher Espenshade   […]

George Alfred Townsend, known by his pen-name Gath, was one of Delaware’s most famous writers of the 19th century. Born the son of a Methodist pastor in Georgetown, Townsend would work as a war correspondent during the Civil War, write for several newspapers, and publish several books, both fictional and biographical. Many of Gath’s works […]

With an introduction by Heritage Commission Chair Richard Carter, the journals of Reverend Wells provide a unique perspective on life in Sussex County at the turn of the century. Wells’ original journals still exist and can be viewed at the at the Delaware Public Archives. The Journals of the Reverend Lewis Wheeler Wells, Rector of […]

Delaware’s Coastal Defenses, tells the stories of two of Delaware’s longest-standing coastal forts: Fort Saulsbury, built during the Second World War and used as a prisoner-of-war camp, and Fort Miles, a location that has played a role in our state’s defense since the Revolutionary War, and the men who served and defended our shores. – […]

Originally written by the Federal Writers Project as part of their classic “American Guide” series, this reprint depicts history, life, travel, and recreation in Delaware as it was in 1938. Including a full-size replica of the original tour map, this comprehensive guide includes art and engravings of various historic locations, dozens of vintage photos, and […]

Piloting, or the navigation of ship, is one of the oldest and most important professions on the North American coast. Traversing unfamiliar shores and unforgiving waters, early American merchant ships heavily relied on skilled pilots to travel safely from port to port. Andrew Knopp’s history, “One Hundred Year History of the Pilot’s Association, Bay and […]

Originally published by the Heritage Commission in 1988, to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the ratification of the Constitution, the Delaware Heritage Cookbook is a collection of traditional, Delaware recipes, submitted by families from all over the First State. Now available digitally for the first time, we invite you to join us in celebrating Delaware’s […]

MILFORD, Del. (July 21, 2022) – The Delaware Division of Small Business recognized 10 small businesses Thursday as winners of the fifth round of Encouraging Development, Growth and Expansion (EDGE) grants. Awardees in the latest round of the competition include a company that created a resorbable vascular stent, a Puerto Rican inspired bakery, an outdoor […]

“Reminiscence Of A Town That Thought It Would Be A Metropolis: Delaware City, Delaware” presents reminiscences of the late William O. Wingate, who lived in Delaware City and was born in the last quarter of the the nineteenth century. Wingate’s writings were found in the local collection of the Delaware City Library and provides a […]

This week, the Delaware Heritage Commission is proud to present the first installment in its Oral History series, now available in a digital format. This biographical series tells the stories of some of Delaware’s most notable governors, and we begin this week with Elbert Carvel. Consisting of interviews conducted with the governor between 1976 and […]

This week we continue the Delaware Heritage Commission’s Oral History Series with Governor Sherman W. Tribbitt. Compiled using interviews conducted with Tribbitt and his colleagues, this book details the accomplishments and controversies of the governor’s administration. – by Roger A. Martin   You can view and/or download a PDF version of this book here.   […]

Continuing our Oral History series, this week’s Heritage Commission’s Book of the Week is, Russell W. Peterson: Governor of Delaware, 1969-1973. A reformer and an energetic leader, you can read for yourself the story of Peterson’s administration in the words of those who made it a success. – by Christopher L. Perry   You can […]

Our Oral History continues this week with its fourth installment: Governor Charles Terry. This volume was written by Ned Davis, Governor Terry’s Press Secretary, and contains a study of Governor Terry and his administration, using oral histories, interviews with members of the administration, and Davis’ personal recollections. – by Ned Davis   You can view […]

DOVER, DE (August 30, 2022) – Young Delaware companies in need of funding to help expand their business can apply beginning Thursday, September 1, 2022, to compete for an Encouraging Development, Growth and Expansion (EDGE) grant from the Division of Small Business. The division will be accepting EDGE grant applications September 1 through September 30 […]

Delaware’s history can be found all around us, not only in textbooks, but in the buildings and homes that we live and work in. Our state’s architecture has been influenced by several hundred years of growth, development, and cultural exchange, and many of these historic buildings are still standing in our towns and communities. George […]

In this monograph, Catherine Adams Masek examines the life and times of the Adams family and the farm they’ve lived on for seven generations. In fact, the farm has been continuously operated by the same family since 1862! Including original family photographs, this is an incredible story of family and tradition, through the lens of […]

Dover, Del.—Delaware schools, nonprofits, and community organizations are invited to apply for a new round of state grant funds to support financial literacy education for people from all walks of life. Since the state’s Financial Literacy Education Fund (FLEF) was established in 2010, over $2.5 million has been awarded to dozens of organizations across the […]

Funding will link library collections, broaden student access to books and materials DOVER – Students will gain greater access to quality books through school libraries across Delaware with a $1 million state investment announced Tuesday by House Majority Leader Valerie Longhurst and officials from the Delaware Library Consortium. The funds, allocated to the Delaware Division […]

For arts programming and projects taking place during fiscal year 2024 (September 2023 – August 2024)   Wilmington, Del. (December 2, 2022) – The Delaware Division of the Arts has opened its annual online application process for grants for arts programming and projects taking place during fiscal year 2024 (September 2023 – August 2024). Applications […]

DOVER, Del. – The Delaware Division of Small Business recognized 10 small businesses Wednesday as winners of the sixth round of Encouraging Development, Growth and Expansion (EDGE) grants. Awardees in the latest round of the competition include a company that created an app for parents to track school buses, a beer garden, an apiary, and an […]

Wilmington, Del. (February 8, 2023) – Following a three year hiatus, Delaware’s Poetry Out Loud State Finals returns for the first in-person competition since 2020. The recitation contest will be hosted at the Smyrna Opera House on Thursday, March 2, 2023, at 7:00pm. Twelve student finalists will compete for the opportunity to represent Delaware and […]

The Division of Small Business will be accepting EDGE grant applications between now and March 31 from promising early-stage businesses throughout Delaware.

On Wednesday, the Delaware Public Service Commission approved a 23% decrease in Delmarva Power’s natural gas costs, effective April 1st. On Friday, February 24, 2023, Delmarva Power filed an application to amend its Gas Cost Rate (GCR) due to a warmer-than-expected winter and lower-than-forecasted natural gas prices over the past several months. The GCR represents […]

This refreshed portal presents a diverse selection of talented artists from Delaware who are now available to exhibit, perform, or present programs throughout Delaware and the wider mid-Atlantic region. The Delaware Artist Roster is set to revolutionize the way artists and groups connect, fostering collaborations that will enrich the cultural landscape of Delaware.

The DE Division of Small Business recognized 10 small businesses Wednesday as winners of the seventh round of the Encouraging Development, Growth and Expansion (EDGE) competition.

The Delaware Division of Small Business (DSB) will be accepting EDGE grant applications from Sept. 1 through Sept. 29, from promising early-stage businesses throughout Delaware. Prior to the competition’s reopening, DSB is hosting an EDGE informational webinar on Wed. Aug. 30 at 10 a.m. Interested persons can register through de.gov/edge.

The Compass Grant is a brand new grant program from the Delaware Department of State that helps Delaware small businesses navigate selling their products or services around the world.   Compass Grant Informational Webinar Tuesday, December 12, 2023 at 10:00 AM   Are you seeking financial support to help your organization grow your sales overseas? […]

Delaware small businesses who are seeking support in selling around the world may now apply for a Compass Grant from Export Delaware. The Compass Grant helps Delaware small businesses navigate international business development through grant funding to support marketing and sales activities around the world. Grant funds can be used to reimburse Delaware businesses for […]

The Delaware Division of the Arts has opened its annual online application process for grants for arts programming and projects taking place during fiscal year 2025 (September 2024 – August 2025). Applications will be submitted through the smARTDE online system and are due by 4:30 p.m. EST on Friday, March 1, 2024. New to smARTDE? […]

Attorney General Kathy Jennings announced Thursday a $573 million multistate settlement with one of the world’s largest consulting firms, McKinsey & Company, resolving investigations into the company’s role in helping opioid companies promote their drugs and profiting from the opioid epidemic. “These are the first damages Delaware’s recovered from the people responsible for the opioid […]

Attorney General Kathy Jennings’ Consumer Protection Unit announced Monday that it filed an administrative lawsuit against Centerdon Group, Inc. n/k/a Hilvanim Group, Inc., a California corporation, for violating the Delaware Uniform Debt-Management Services Act, the Delaware Consumer Fraud Act and the Delaware Deceptive Trade Practices Act. “Delawareans who are struggling with debt deserve our help, […]

Recommendations include housing, trauma training, expanding recovery resources in the criminal justice system The Delaware Drug Overdose Fatality Review Commission (DOFRC) has released its second annual report to Governor John Carney and the General Assembly. The 18-page report, released Tuesday, details five policy recommendations based on its review of a sample of 130 overdose fatalities […]

The Investor Protection Unit of the Delaware Department of Justice is encouraging anyone who invested with precious metals dealers Metals.com, Tower Equity, Chase Metals, or Barrick Capital to learn more about whether they may have been defrauded and the process for potentially recovering some of their losses. In September, the Investor Protection Unit joined the […]

In honor of Second Chance Month, the Delaware DOJ’s Community Engagement Unit is partnering with the Delaware Center for Justice and several community groups to host a joint job fair and expungement clinic at the Route 9 Library and Innovation Center in New Castle on Thursday, April 28 from 12 p.m. – 6 p.m. The […]

A Delaware State Trooper has pleaded guilty to Misuse of Computer System Information, Attorney General Kathy Jennings and Col. Melissa Zebley announced Friday.  The case was prosecuted by the Department of Justice’s Division of Civil Rights & Public Trust after Delaware State Police supervisors discovered and reported Boyda’s conduct. James D. Boyda, a five-year veteran of […]

Attorney General Jennings today announced a multistate settlement with Experian Data Corp (“EDC”) for failing to warn affected consumers after it learned that an identity thief was posing as a private investigator and retrieving sensitive personal information from Court Ventures Inc., a database that EDC had purchased. In 2012, the U.S. Secret Service notified EDC […]

Attorney General Kathleen Jennings announced today that Delaware, along with 39 states, has obtained two multistate settlements with Experian Information Solutions, Inc. (“Experian”) and T-Mobile USA, Inc. (“T-Mobile”) concerning a 2015 data breach experienced by Experian that compromised the personal information of more than 15 million individuals who submitted credit applications with T-Mobile. Under the […]

Recommendations include a whole-person approach to substance use disorder treatment and broadened non-opioid options for chronic pain treatment  The Delaware Drug Overdose Fatality Review Commission (DOFRC) has released its second annual report to Governor John Carney and the General Assembly, announced Attorney General Kathy Jennings. The report examines a sample of 108 cases from fatal overdoses that occurred […]

Order sends Delaware’s climate damage & deception lawsuit back to State court WASHINGTON — Today, the Supreme Court of the United States DENIED the petition for a writ of certiorari submitted by fossil fuel companies appealing their failure to move Delaware’s climate damage and deception lawsuit out of state court and into federal court.  The question […]

Attorney General Kathy Jennings today sued Avid Telecom for allegedly initiating and facilitating billions of illegal robocalls. Avid Telecom sent or transmitted more than 7.5 billion calls to telephone numbers on the National Do Not Call Registry, and made 27 million calls to Delawareans.  “We often think of illegal robocalls as a nuisance, but they […]

Two Delaware women have been sentenced to probation and suspended prison time for tax-related crimes after falsely claiming thousands of dollars in itemized deductions on their tax returns and submitting falsified documents during their respective audits. The cases represent the first prosecutions brought under the new initiative between the Department of Justice and the Department of Finance targeting state tax fraud “These convictions are the result of great work by our prosecutors and our […]

                Attorney General Kathy Jennings joined a group of 15 state attorneys general calling on Target to support inclusivity and to reject anti-LGBTQ+ hate, intimidation and discrimination.                The letter, sent to national retail chain Target during Pride Month, comes in response to Target’s recent decision to remove certain Pride-related merchandise from its stores and […]

Attorney General Jennings announced today a settlement with Tempoe, LLC resolving a multistate investigation into Tempoe’s advertising and leasing to consumers through retailers across the nation. The multistate investigation—which included 41 states and the District of Columbia—revealed that Tempoe’s marketing and sales practices often misled consumers to believe they were signing up for an installment […]

Attorney General seeks damages, including costs necessary to restore impacted natural resources and funding for State-run public health programs. Attorney General Kathleen Jennings announced that the Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit to hold numerous companies accountable for contaminating Delaware’s natural resources with per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) traceable to the use and disposal […]