History Matters

Caesar Rodney is known for the many public offices he held in Delaware, and his famous ride on July 1, 1776 to cast the deciding vote declaring the U.S. independent from Great Britain.But like many founding fathers, Rodney was a slave owner and that part of his legacy led to a statue of him on Rodney Square in Wilmington to be removed in 2020 during a national reckoning with racism and police violence. This report confirms Rodney enslaved at least 26 people during his life.On this edition of History Matters, Delaware Public Media’s Bente Boutiers sits down with Debbie Martin, Wilmington’s Historic Preservation Planner, who worked on the report to learn more about it.

2026 has been a year of milestone anniversaries from America’s and Delaware’s 250th to the First State’s libraries celebrating 125 years. Among those was a slightly smaller yet equally significant anniversary — the Delaware Supreme Court’s which celebrated 75 years since its founding.To commemorate that, the judicial branch released a video with a brief history and testimonials from former and current chief justices, the attorney general and other figures about how the system has worked so far.In this edition of History Matters, DPM's Jay Shah sat down with Sean O’Sullivan — Chief of Community Relations with the state’s Administrative Office of the Courts — to understand that history and its impact on Delawareans today.

Each June, Delawareans celebrate Separation Day - the day the First State stopped being part of Pennsylvania and became its own entity.This year's Separation Day celebrations have added significance, occurring in the leadup to the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States.In this edition of History Matters, Delaware Public Media's Martin Matheny learned more about how the state is marking Separation Day and the nation's 250th birthday from two people closely involved with planning the events, beginning with Erik Raser-Schramm, director of Delaware 250 and then Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs Historic Sites Team director Daniel Citron.

National Train Day was last Saturday - May 9th. To mark the occasion, the Lewes Junction Railroad & Bridge Association unveiled its newest arrival- an early 1900s steam engine.And Delaware Public Media’s Isreal Hale was on hand for that event for this edition of History Matters.

It’s that time of year again – the time for hayrides, pumpkin patches, and pumpkin carving. But among the pumpkin frenzy, not much thought is typically…

Many people are likely aware of Airbnb: providing travelers the option to rent a room in someone else’s home – or guesthouse – as opposed to staying in a…

The New Castle Court House Museum is kicking off a brand new exhibit Saturday. It’s called “New Castle: Three Forts, One Community.”The program focuses on…

A number of historic buildings – from the Thomas England House, to Summerton Mansion in Middletown – have been demolished in recent months. Historic…

Last week, History Matters - produced in collaboration with the Delaware Historical Society - looked at the legacy of Wilmington’s renowned jazz teacher…

Wilmington’s Clifford Brown Jazz Festival returns next week, starting up Wednesday and running through Friday. And while Clifford Brown is Wilmington’s…