Cynoscion

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Symbols of the State of Delaware The official colors of the American state of Delaware are colonial blue and buff, the colors of General George Washington’s uniform during the American Revolution. The colors and the state seal appear on the state flag. The seal of Delaware contains three significant years in the colony and state’s history of 1704, 1776, and 1787. Delaware used to be part of the British colony of Pennsylvania and in 1704 the Lower Counties on the Delaware River of Pennsylvania established their own General Assembly. June 15, 1776, celebrated as Separation Day, was the day the colonial General Assembly declared Delaware an independent state from Great Britain. December 7, 1787, celebrated as Delaware Day, was the day Delaware became the first state to ratify the United States Constitution, following the early period of U.S. government under the Articles of Confederation. This also explains one of the nicknames for Delaware, The First State. Delaware is also known as The Diamond State because of a legend that Thomas Jefferson described Delaware as a jewel due to its strategic location on the Atlantic coast. The Blue Hen State is a nickname that comes from the fighting blue hen cocks that were sometimes carried by soldiers for cock fighting entertainment during the Revolutionary War. Soldiers from Delaware were associated with these fighting cocks during the war. The Small Wonder nickname refers to Delaware’s small size, but important contributions. Delaware is the second smallest state after Rhode Island. The official motto of Delaware is Liberty and Independence, which originates from the Order of Cincinnati, an organization of American Revolutionary War officers formed in 1783. The motto was adopted in 1847. The state flower is the peach blossom, which was chosen in 1895 because of the commercially important peach tree orchards from that time period. At the time it was chosen, there were over 800,000 peach trees in the state. The state bird is the blue hen chicken, having been associated with the state long before it was officially adopted in 1939. The state tree is the American Holly, adopted in 1939 and recognized as one of the state’s most important trees. American holly is often called Christmas holly or evergreen holly. The state bug is the lady bug, adopted in 1974. The state fish is the weakfish, adopted in 1981, in reference to its importance as a game and food fish. The weakfish is also known as the seat trout, gray trout, yellow mouth, yellow fin trout, and tiderunner. The state beverage is milk, adopted in 1983. The state herb is sweet goldenrod, adopted in 1996, and is common along the coast and near marshes and thickets. The state fossil is belemnite, adopted in 1996. The fossil is of an extinct squid from the Mesozoic era that is commonly found along the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal. The state mineral is sillimanite, which is common throughout the state, especially as large boulders at the Brandywine Springs State Park. The state butterfly is the tiger swallowtail, adopted in 1999. The tiger swallowtail can be found in woods along streams, rivers, and swamps, as well as in towns and cities throughout Delaware. The state soil is Greenwich Loam, adopted in 2000, as it is found across the entire state, aiding in agriculture and water quality, as well as acting as a part of wildlife habitat and the natural landscape. In 2000, a star, called the Delaware Diamond, was officially adopted by the state and registered with the International Star Registry. The state marine animal is the horseshoe crab, adopted in 2002 for its importance as a source of food for millions of shore birds along the coast. Delaware Bay is home to more horseshoe crabs than any other place in the world. The state macroinvertebrate is the stonefly, adopted in 2005, an important part of the state’s aquatic ecosystems. A state macroinvertebrate was chosen in order to raise public awareness about water quality issues. The state dessert is peach pie, adopted in 2009, which alludes back to the historical importance of peaches in the state’s economy and heritage. The state wildlife animal is the grey fox, adopted in 2010, that ranges throughout the state. Since the fox does not hibernate, it is said to always be ready like the soldiers at Dover Air Force Base. The state fruit is the strawberry, adopted in 2010 as it is an important agricultural product of Delaware. The state’s license plate incorporates the state colors and displays the state nickname of The First State above the characters. The state quarter, released in 1999, also features the nickname of The First State. Caesar Rodney is shown riding his horse. Rodney was an officer of Delaware militia and a Continental Congressman for the state, signing the Declaration of Independence. Rodney rode through a thunderstorm on the night of July 1, 1776 in order to arrive in Philadelphia the next day when voting began to declare independence from Great Britain. His arrival allowed him to break the deadlock that had existed in the vote for independence. If you enjoyed this video, be sure to hit the like button and subscribe to our channel for future videos. You can also like our Facebook page for updates there. You can check out another video on the story of the flag of the state of Delaware right here. Thanks for watching.