Dover is the capital of Delaware, a state of the United States of America. As of the census of 2000, the population was 32,135. It is the county seat of Kent County. Located on the Delmarva Peninsula, it is roughly in the geographic center of the state.

History

Dover was founded in 1683 by William Penn, to whom the land comprising Delaware and Pennsylvania were granted by King Charles II of England. (At the time, Delaware was part of Pennsylvania as the so-called “Lower Counties”.) Later, in 1717, the city was officially laid out by a special commission of the Delaware General Assembly. During the American Revolution and the American Civil War, Dover was a mustering point for Delaware’s troops. The city’s central square, known as The Green, was the location of many rallies, troop reviews, and other patriotic events. To this day, The Green remains the heart of Dover’s historic district and is the location of the Delaware Supreme Court and the Kent County Courthouse.

Dover was the home of Caesar Rodney, an enigmatic character from the American Revolution. He is known to have been buried outside Dover, but the precise location of his grave is unknown. A cenotaph in his honor is erected in the cemetery of the Christ Episcopal Church on The Green.

In Colonial times up to the end of the American Civil War, Delaware was a slave state, although slavery was nowhere as widely practiced as in the Deep South (and, as a result, some would argue, the pernicious practices of slavery occurred much more infrequently). During the American Civil War, Delaware was one of the so-called “border states”, i.e., a state remaining in the Union but still practicing slavery. Confederate sentiment in Dover was not unknown, but overall the area supported the Union effort. As a result, Dover was a “stop” on the Underground Railroad, especially because of its relatively close proximity to Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

Geography

Dover is located at 39°9′43″ North, 75°31′36″ West (39.161921, -75.526755)GR1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 58.8 km² (22.7 mi²). 58.0 km² (22.4 mi²) of it is land and 0.8 km² (0.3 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 1.32% water.

Delaware was the origin of Belton v. Gebhart, one of the four cases which was combined into Brown v. Board of Education, the United States Supreme Court decision that led to the end of segregated public schools. Significantly, Belton was the only case in which the state court found for the plaintiffs, thereby ruling that segregation was unconstitutional. Even more ironically, Delaware’s segregated school system was substantially supported by donations from the wealthy du Pont family beginning with the Civil War, when the Du Pont Company’s profits grew thanks to a high demand for its gunpowder products.

Unlike many states, Delaware’s educational system is centralized in a state Superintendent of Education, with local school boards retaining control over taxation and some curriculum decisions. A statewide standardized test, the Delaware Student Testing Program (DSTP), was implemented to comply with the No Child Left Behind Act.

A “three-tiered diploma” system fostered by Governor Ruth Ann Minner, which awarded “basic”, “standard”, and “distinguished” high-school diplomas based on a student’s achievement, was recently discontinued by the General Assembly after a popular outcry questioned its fairness.

The Big August Quarterly is an annual religious festival held in Wilmington, Delaware, and is sometimes called “Big Quarterly” or “August Quarterly”. The festival began in 1814 by Peter Spencer in connection with the “quarterly” meeting (or “conference”) of the African Union Church. Out of the four meetings during the year, the one in August became the “annual conference” of the Church when ministers’ assignments for the next year were announced, among other business — it was a time for free blacks and slaves alike to come together (from the multi-state area) and celebrate their faith with singing, dancing, testifying, and feasting.

It is the oldest such celebration in the country. Senator Biden’s remarks on the significance of the “Big Quarterly” were published in the Congressional Record for 30 July 1981 (Vol. 127, No. 117) and for 9 August 1984 (Vol 130, No. 106).

Every year, the Delaware Sangerbund (German for Singers Alliance) holds a three day long Oktoberfest. Although the cultural significance of the Sangerbund has diminished over the years, the festival is extremely popular and attracts visitors from all over the East Coast.

Wilmington’s substantial Polish-American population supports a yearly Pulaski Day Parade in March as well as a summer Polish Festival, hosted by Saint Hedwig’s Roman Catholic Church.

In Bethany Beach, the end of the summer season is honored each year with a traditional jazz funeral down the town’s boardwalk. And at the end of October, Rehoboth Beach holds its annual “Sea Witch Halloween and Fiddlers’ Festival”.

One of Delaware’s most bizarre — and enjoyable — traditions is Sussex County’s Punkin Chunkin, where unused pumpkins from the Halloween season are ejected almost one mile high in the air by hydraulic or air-powered cannons. Putatively a competition to see which team can create the most powerful cannon, it is also a popular occasion for drinking and tailgate parties.

Delaware’s professional sports teams are the Wilmington Blue Rocks minor league baseball team, a Class A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox who play at Daniel S. Frawley Stadium, and the Delaware Griffins, part of the Women’s Professional Football League. Delaware is also home to the Delaware Smash who play World Team Tennis. The Smash were led in 2005 by Wimbledon champion Venus Williams.

In place of in-state professional sports teams, many Delawareans follow either Philadelphia, New Jersey, or Baltimore teams, depending on their location within the state, with Philadelphia teams receiving the largest fan following. In addition, the University of Delaware’s football team has a loyal following, with Delaware State University’s team enjoying popularity on a much lesser scale.

Delaware is home to Dover International Speedway and Dover Downs. DIS, also known as the Monster Mile, hosts two NASCAR races each year. Dover Downs is a popular harness racing facility. In what may be the only co-located horse and car-racing facility in the nation, the Dover Downs track is located inside the DIS track.

Delaware is home to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Wilmington and the Episcopal Diocese of Wilmington.

The A.U.M.P. Church, the oldest African-American denomination in the nation, was founded in Wilmington and still has a very substantial presence in the state. Delaware also hosts an Islamic temple in the Ogletown area, as well as a Hindu temple in Hockessin.

Synagogues include Beth Emeth Congregation (Reform) and Congregation Beth Shalom (Conservative) in Wilmington, and Congregation Beth Sholom (Conservative) in Dover.