Delaware’s Signers and Slavery: It’s Complicated

Friday, February 13, 2026
3:00 – 4:00 pm
Milton Public Library
Sussex 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.

Milton Public Library
121 Union Street
Conference Room
Milton DE 19968
302-855-1975