Today in history - 1682

The Duke of York awarded Englishman William Penn the three "lower counties" in the American colonies which later became the state of Delaware. Penn acquired this land just west of the Delaware River and Bay in order to prevent his Pennsylvania colony from being landlocked. The Delaware territory remained part of Pennsylvania until 1704, when it was given its own assembly. On December 7, 1787, Delaware ratified the new U.S. Constitution, becoming the "first state" of the United States.