Delaware’s Signers and Slavery: It’s Complicated
Wednesday, May 13, 2026
6:30 – 7:30 pm
Delaware City Library
New Castle 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 at the Delaware City Library, made possible by the Friends of Fort DuPont.
This event is sponsored by Delaware Humanities. If you have any questions please contact the hosting location.
Delaware City Library
250 5th Street
Community Room
Delaware City DE 19706
302-838-7374 x105
