Guide to Delaware Historical Resources

The state of Delaware, is rich with history from ancient times through colonization and into the modern age. Delaware's fascinating story weaves together politics, culture, art, and industry. Use the resources here to find information and tools to help you navigate your way through the interesting history of America's first state. The recommended pages listed here each offer high-quality, credible information that is relevant to a variety of audiences - including local history buffs, travelers, and genealogists.

The organizations that maintain the sites in this section do so out of a passion for preserving the history of Delaware. All operate as nonprofit groups and seek to share the stories of Delaware's people, places, and notable events. These groups offer free access to archived resources, historical exhibits and artifacts, informational databases, and more.

• Delaware Tribe Historic Preservation Office If you are interested in looking at the history of Delaware's native inhabitants, the Delaware Tribe works to find and preserve tribal historical resources. Contact them through the site to help you piece together the state's pre-colonial history.
• Delaware Agricultural Museum and Village The Delaware Agricultural Museum and Village gives families a chance to explore and experience the state's agricultural heritage. If you can't make it in person, some exhibits are available online through the site.
• Delaware Historical Society The Delaware Historical Society site gives you access to several excellent resources like museums and online research libraries.
• Delaware Public Archives The Delaware Public Archives site is perhaps the most comprehensive collection of area historical resources you'll find. Browse through several digitized exhibits and collections including historical documents, photographs, and audio recordings.

If you're looking for ancestral roots running back to Delaware, explore the resources offered by these genealogical sites and pages. Find a particular person, place, or event or create an extensive family tree using vast compilations of records, surveys, and other sources of historical data.

• Delaware Genealogical Resources This page, from Ancestry.com, provides a huge collection of excellent resources for tracing your Delaware genealogy. You'll find Census data, vital records, cemetery registries, and more.
• Delaware Genealogical Society The Delaware Genealogical Society site offers several free resources for you to use in researching area genealogy. If you live in the area and want to participate in events, you can sign up to be a member. Even as a non-member, you'll still have access to records, archives, and interesting articles.
• FamilySearch.org FamilySearch hosts the world's largest genealogical database. You can access Delaware genealogical records created by other users, and contribute your own family information to help fill in gaps.

Each town has its own story to tell. These sites are dedicated to specific regions or towns within Delaware and focus on that area's contributions to Delaware's culture. See timelines, archives, and local objects of historical significance using the free resources they have made available to the public.

• Lewes Historical Society Learn all about Lewes, Delaware - the first town in the first state! See local event calendars, access photo and text collections, and use your own research to help build on existing knowledge.
• Milton Historical Society The Milton Historical Society is dedicated to preserving and sharing the history of Milton, Delaware and they are willing to explore every aspect of historical research even the paranormal.
• Air Mobility Command Museum Delaware also has a rich and interesting military history. Dover Air Force Base is home to the AMC Museum which allows visitors to explore Air Force artifacts, including lots of old planes! If you can't make it in person, many of the exhibits are available to view online.
• Wilmington History The earliest Old World settlement in the region was established here, and to this day Wilmington, Delaware remains an area of particular interest for travelers and historians. This site has an assortment of articles and other resources to help you learn all about the exciting history of Wilmington.

Kids will enjoy learning about the fascinating history of Delaware when they can have fun doing it. These sites and pages host free articles, games, and other resources to help kids get excited about exploring history! These can be a great way for kids to begin research for a report, or as a way to provide an introduction to Delaware history before visiting a local museum or delving into more grown-up historical content.

• The Delaware Colony This page is designed for younger historians, and runs through several interesting facts about the settlement and colonization of Delaware. Kids can click around and learn about surrounding colonies, too.
• Delaware Activities and Lesson Plans A valuable resource for teachers and parents, this site offers a vast collection of worksheets and lesson plans to help teach kids about Delaware history. All are free to use and print.
• Ducksters Delaware Page This fun page is part of Ducksters' collection of US geography resources for kids and includes statistical information, fun facts, and tidbits about famous Delawareans.
• Interactive Delaware Fun This page has some fun ways for young kids to learn about Delaware history. Click around the interactive map or play fun free games.

Keep reading for more places where you can find incredibly valuable resources for researching Pennsylvania's history. Lovingly curated collections made digital for all to see, local tales of adventure and scandal, updates on historical designations, and archived newspapers of old all await on the following pages.

• Delaware Historical Facts If you're looking for the full rundown of stats about the state of Delaware, check out this InfoPlease article. You'll also find links to maps, data sheets, and other historically significant information.
• Delaware Historical Documents The state of Delaware has digitized an impressive collection of historical documents from its archives and you can access them for free through this site.
• Delaware History Timeline This easy-to-read timeline takes you through Delaware's history from the year 1400 to modern times.
• Delaware Living History Here you'll find a more in-depth timeline of Delaware history, including the exploration of some conflicting views of how certain events actually played out.
• University of Delaware Library The library at the University of Delaware hosts several databases full of incredible historical information and research tools. Most are free to use for anyone.