Historical Note:

Hail Caesar . . .

Back in 1776, the Declaration of Independence might have been filed in the "dustbin of history" if not for Caesar Rodney, one of Delaware's three delegates to the Continental Congress. When he got word that Congress was voting on the resolution for independence, he rose from his deathbed and rode on horseback to Philadelphia -just in time to break the tie from his delegation and cast the deciding vote for independence.

Name Origin: English. (Named after Sir Thomas West, 12th baron De la Warr, and colonial governor of Virginia)

Capital: Dover

Population: 706,000

Area: 2,045 square miles

Statehood: December 7, 1787 (1st)

Nickname: The First State (the first state to ratify the new constitution)

Motto: Liberty and Independence

Famous For: Historic Waterfront, Du Pont Family Mansions, Beaches, Fishing, Chicken Farming, Wildlife, and Favorable Tax Laws