On Wednesday evening, the Friends of Fort DuPont welcomed 22 attendees to Delaware City for our latest Delaware in Conversation Speaker Series event.
The program, “Delaware’s Signers and Slavery: It’s Complicated,” explored the relationship between Delaware signers and slavery. It also offered a deeper look at the people connected to Delaware’s role in the Declaration of Independence.
The evening took guests on a fascinating journey through Delaware history. However, it was not exactly the story many people might expect.
A More Complicated Founding Story
Many people connect the Declaration of Independence with liberty, freedom, and self-government. However, this program asked attendees to look beyond that familiar story.
The discussion focused on Delaware’s signers of the Declaration of Independence. It also explored how their lives connected to slavery in different ways.
As a result, the program gave attendees a more complete view of Delaware’s founding history. It showed that history often includes tension, contradiction, and complexity.
That honest approach made the evening especially powerful.
Why Delaware History Still Matters
Local history helps people understand larger national stories. Therefore, this conversation reached far beyond one event or one historic document.
The topic of Delaware signers and slavery connected Delaware City audiences to major questions about freedom, power, and memory.
In addition, the program reminded guests that history is not distant. These stories connect to real people, real places, and real choices.
Because of that, events like this help communities think more deeply about the past. They also create space for meaningful conversation today.
Partnerships in Practice
This event also showed the value of strong community partnerships.
The Friends of Fort DuPont thank Delaware Humanities for supporting this program. Their work helps bring high-quality public humanities programs to communities across Delaware.
We also thank the Delaware City Library for partnering with us. The library helped create a welcoming space for learning, reflection, and discussion.
Together, these partnerships brought history, community, and conversation together in Delaware City.
Thank You for Joining Us
Most importantly, thank you to everyone who came out on Wednesday night.
Your interest and participation helped make the evening a success.
The Friends of Fort DuPont look forward to continuing the Delaware in Conversation Speaker Series. We also look forward to offering more programs that explore Delaware history, culture, and community.
