Dover in Kent County, Delaware — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Delaware Decides
First State National Historical Park
"...fully, freely, and entirely approve of, assent to, ratify, and confirm the said Constitution."
Delaware's ratification document, December 7, 1787
The Golden Fleece Tavern
Delegates to the ratifying convention gathered at The Golden Fleece Tavern, the same place where the state assembly sometimes met. The tavern is long-gone, but its site is well-marked at the corner of State Street and The Green.
The Delegates
Gunning Bedford, Jr., Richard Bassett, Jacob Broom, John Dickinson, and George Read were delegates to the Constitutional Convention at Philadelphia in 1787. Bassett and Bedford were also among the delegates to the ratifying convention in Dover.
(photo captions)
• Gunning Bedford, Jr. & Richard Bassett
Portraits courtesy of State of Delaware Historical and Cultural Affairs
• Background Artwork Delaware, The First State by Robert E. Goodier, courtesy of PNC Bank
Erected by National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Government & Politics • Notable Events. A significant historical date for this entry is December 7, 1787.
Location. 39° 9.399′ N, 75° 31.395′ W. Marker is in Dover, Delaware, in Kent County. Marker is on The Green east of South State Street, on the right when traveling west. Marker is located beside the sidewalk at the northeast corner of The Green. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 15 The Green, Dover DE 19901, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. The Green (here, next to this marker); Ridgely House (a few steps from this marker); Delaware's Struggle for Women's Right to Vote (within shouting distance of this marker); State House (within shouting distance of this marker); Votes for Women (within shouting distance of this marker); The Delaware Line (within shouting distance of this marker); In the Council Chamber of Elizabeth Battell's Golden Fleece Tavern (within shouting distance of this marker); The Golden Fleece Tavern (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Dover.
Also see . . . Delaware ratifies the Constitution. The Constitutional Convention’s dictate that the new Constitution would come into effect after merely nine states ratified was strictly illegal under the Articles, which demanded unanimity among the states for amendments to take effect. The drafters wanted to take action quickly before the nation was irreversibly fractured. Delaware’s ratification indicated that the states were indeed willing to consider an extra-legal document drafted behind closed doors. In many ways, the ratification process was a sort of second American revolution and Delaware’s unanimous vote accurately foretold that it would take place without bloodshed. (Submitted on April 13, 2019, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
Credits. This page was last revised on January 20, 2022. It was originally submitted on April 10, 2019, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 321 times since then and 29 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on April 12, 2019, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. 2, 3, 4. submitted on April 13, 2019, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.