The Beginning: While there were several small skirmishes prior to April 19, 1775, this date is recognized as the accepted beginning of the war due to the first major military actions between the British Army and patriot militias at Lexington and Concord.

The End: The conflict began to die down with the defeat of Cornwallis by a Franco-American army in Yorktown, Virginia, in September and October 1781. Great Britain acknowledged the sovereignty and independence of the United States with the Treaty of Paris, ratified on September 3, 1783, and brought the American Revolutionary War to an end.

In between, battles and skirmishes took place in all of the thirteen original colonies. As the map to the left shows, the majority of land that was to later become the United States were under the control of other countries and kingdoms and thus restricted the colonies to the east coast. We are fortunate that technology has progressed over the last 250 years and has produced a tremendous number of resources for us to experience the history of the American Revolutionary War. The hand-written documents such as muster rolls, provisions records, reimbursement records, and detailed battles information, provide us with so many resources it can be overwhelming. One just must do a search for information and will find more than enough information of the topic. Not only are these records available as publications but there are many websites and online content available to add to the resources that are available now. One of these is a book called “The Delaware Continentals” written by Christopher Ward. This book was originally published in 1941 by the Historical Society of Delaware and republished in 2001 by the Delaware Heritage Commission.

This book in paperback has 620 pages and has consolidated records, stories, and other documentation to provide a comprehensive history of the 1st Delaware Regiment in the Revolutionary War. Other resources are websites:
• Dssar.org: Delaware Society of the Sons of the American Revolution
• Delawaredar.org: Delaware Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution
• forgottenpatriots.org: website dedicated in part to Delaware during the Revolution
• Ancestry.com: Has many genealogical records of the Revolutionary War searchable by name.
• Delaware Public Archives
• allthingsliberty.com: A resource dedicated to online digital records.
• And many, many more!
Historical societies have been formed and continue to support their unique historical perspective. For local historians, the First (and only) Delaware Regiment is easily researched at many of the above resources. The Slaughter Beach Historical Society has found several connections between residents and participation in the Revolutionary War. Fast forward to the present:
The First Delaware Regiment preserves its history with re-enactments and other events. It can be found online and has a Facebook page. The picture below is the current membership of the regiment.

Above: The 1st Delaware Regiment on its Facebook page.

The painting below also depicts the 1st Delaware Regiment and Blue Hens.

Article written and information compiled by Linda Bennett White, using the sources noted in the article.