Delaware's Independence Hall

Delaware's Independence Hall. . Built in 1732 as the statehouse for Pennsylvania's "Three Lower Counties on the Delaware," the New Castle Court House was the scene of a dramatic vote on June 15, 1776 when the colonial assembly declared independence from both Great Britain and Pennsylvania. In September of that year, the former colony held a state constitutional convention here in which it adopted the name, "The Delaware State.", The sketch above from Benjamin Latrobe's 1805 survey shows the Court House and The Green. The Academy is on the left. Immanuel Church (without its steeple) can be seen between the trees next to the Academy. , Courtesy of Delaware Public Archives, New Castle's George Read served Delaware at both the Continental Congress and the Constitutional Convention. Although reluctant at first to part from Great Britain, he signed the Declaration of Independence., As a member of the Constitutional Convention, Read stood firm for equal representation of the states. His stance helped lead to the creation of the United States Senate. After the Convention, his support was crucial in making Delaware the first state to ratify the new United States Constitution., [Portrait of George Read] Courtesy of National Park Service,