08/22/2026
Sad that 2026 History Revival is halfway over? Well, we've got you covered! We will be extending the speaker series for one more week. Join us on September 3 at 7:00 PM as we host Chuck Fithian, historian and retired Curator of Archaeology for the Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs (HCA), for the final History Revival event of the year!
The Declaration of Independence is one of the central documents of the founding and development of the United States. In 1776, the ideas contained in this document held significant ramifications for the diverse people living in the “Delaware State.” Many embraced the cause of independence, and ultimately revolution, while others remained loyal to the British Empire and to the Crown.
But what was life in Delaware like at the time of independence? What factors and conditions had shaped the colony soon-to-be state, and influenced its people? Who were the participants in these events, and in which ways did they choose, or were able, to participate? To help answer these questions, this presentation will examine aspects of Delaware’s colonial history and identity, the arrival of and the people’s reaction to the news of independence, and the varied and difficult responses Delawareans made in the years that followed. This discussion by historian Chuck Fithian will demonstrate Delaware’s complex Revolutionary War history, and the ways its people started to “begin the world over again.”
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Image Description: Painting of Delaware soldiers in the American Revolution marching in formation. People, including a man with a cane and a woman and her daughter, watch from the side of the path. Text at top and bottom reads "To Give My Voice in the Matter of Independence," "Chuck Fithian," and "September 3, 2026 --- 7:00 PM."
Image Credit: "Happy Memorial Day!" Delaware Public Archives. May 28, 2010. https://archives.delaware.gov/2010/05/28/happy-memorial-day/.
