Delaware’s Signers and Slavery: It’s Complicated
Thursday, July 9, 2026
6:30 – 7:30 pm
Duck Creek Regional Library
Kent County
Program: Delaware’s Signers and Slavery: It’s Complicated
When Delaware’s 3 signers of the Declaration of Independence stepped up to sign over “our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor” on the document, 2 of them were enslavers. However, by 1787, when it was time to sign the new U.S. Constitution, only one of Delaware’s 5 signers was an enslaver. So, what happened? This presentation broadens our understanding of Delaware during the American Revolutionary period by telling the complicated relationship between Delaware’s signers and enslavement and the impact of that relationship on Delaware’s struggling abolitionist movement.
Join Speaker Eric Mease for this talk.
This event is sponsored by Delaware Humanities. If you have any questions please contact the hosting location.
Duck Creek Regional Library
22 S Main St
Large Room A
Smyrna DE 19977-1431
302-653-4579
