A state of the eastern United States on the Atlantic Ocean. One of the original Thirteen Colonies, it was settled by the Dutch in 1631 and by Swedes in 1638, passing to England in 1664. It was part of William Penn's Pennsylvania grant from 1682 until 1776. In 1787, Delaware became the first state to ratify the United States Constitution. Dover is the capital and Wilmington the largest city.