DOCUMENT EXHIBITS

BECOMING THE FIRST STATE - DELAWARE'S ROAD TO RATIFICATION

• John Dickinson’s Report from the Annapolis Convention (Sept. 14, 1786)
• Sussex County Petition for Paper Currency (circa 1787)
• Act of the Delaware House of Assembly to nominate and elect Deputies to attend the Constitutional Convention (February 3, 1787)
• Letter from Charles Thomson stating support of Continental Congress for a Constitutional Convention (February 21, 1787)
• Letter from Charles Thomson, Secretary of Congress, containing the report (the United States Constitution) from the Convention “lately assembled in Philadelphia.” (September 28, 1787)
• A Petition to the Delaware General Assembly in support of the ratification of the Constitution (October 24, 1787)
• A Petition to the Delaware General Assembly in support of establishing the Nation’s Capital in Delaware (October 24, 1787)
• Delaware House of Assembly Resolution calling for the election of delegates to Delaware’s Constitutional Ratification Convention (November 7, 1787)
• Ratification Document (December 7, 1787)
• Receipt for Expenses at the Ratification Convention (December 7, 1787)
• Receipt for Expenses at the Ratification Convention (December 7, 1787)
• Auditor of Accounts Waste Book noting state government expenses for the Ratification Convention (December 7, 1787)
• Letter from Charles Thomson, Secretary of Congress, announcing an Act of the United States Congress to put the operation of the ratified Constitution into operation (September 13, 1788)
• Act of Congress to establish Government under the new Constitution (September 13, 1788)
• George Read, Delaware Delegate to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia
• Gunning Bedford Jr., Delaware Delegate to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia
• John Dickinson, Delaware Delegate to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia
• Richard Bassett, Delaware Delegate to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia
• Jacob Broom, Delaware Delegate to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia

EXAMINING THE 17th CENTURY THROUGH THE DOCUMENTS OF THE DELAWARE PUBLIC ARCHIVES

• Chronology
• Background - Native American Period
• Background - Dutch and Swedes Period
• Background - Duke of York Period
• Background - William Penn Period
• Bibliography
• Document Index

JOSEPH BARKER'S NEGRO LEDGER BOOK, 1801-1811

• Joseph Barker was a general merchant whose store and home was located at Barkers Landing on the St. Jones River in Murkerkill Hundred. Titled by Barker as his “Negro Ledger A”, the volume contains entries for purchases made by his African-American customers. Each entry notes the name of customer, date of purchase, items purchased, cost for each item, date and amount paid, and how paid. Often bills were paid with grain, other items, or labor

CIVIL WAR RECORDS

• Records related to Delaware's involvement in the American Civil War.

CORONER'S REPORTS

• Record of a county coroner's investigations into the manner and cause of a death where a person died under circumstances that were violent, unnatural, or unknown.

KENT COUNTY PAUPER BOOKS

• A register of the infirm and poor inmates of the county almshouse. Deaths and births are also included.

DELAWARE LAWS OF 1829

• In 1829 the African-American population of Delaware was comprised of 15,855 free negroes, and 3,292 slaves. The laws of the State of Delaware for this period reflect the morality of the time. Listed below are the laws of the State of Delaware in the year 1829 regarding the Negro and Mulatto populations.

NEW CASTLE COUNTY NATURALIZATIONS

• New Castle County Naturalizations Original petitions and other legal documents of immigrants wishing to become American citizens. The date listed in the title reflects the year of the file and may vary from the document displayed. The file for each individual may contain more documentation.

LEGISLATIVE PETITIONS

• Petitions Petition files contain formal applications to the General Assembly requesting specific action on stated issues. Petitions were generally passed on to committees specially appointed for investigation and reporting on the issue.

REVEREND JOSEPH BROWN TURNER COLLECTION

• Reverend Turner's Collection of genealogical notes and correspondence concerning about three thousand Delmarva Peninsula families.

PUBLIC SCHOOL INSURANCE EVALUATION REPORTS, 1941

• Insurance evaluations of public schools recorded and photographed in 1941.

SLAVERY PAPERS

• Legal documents related to the treatment of slaves living in the State of Delaware.

SUSSEX COUNTY ORPHANS COURT CASE FILES

• Legal documents filed for cases heard by the Sussex County Orphans Court. The date listed in the title reflects the year of the file and may vary from the document displayed. The file for each individual may contain more documentation.