Present-Day State Originally Part of Pennsylvania
Delaware is the present-day state that was originally part of Pennsylvania. When William Penn received his charter for Pennsylvania in 1681, the land grant did not initially include the area that is now Delaware. However, in 1682, Penn annexed the region along the Delaware River-comprising the present-day state of Delaware-to Pennsylvania. This area was known as the "Three Lower Counties" (New Castle, Kent, and Sussex counties) and was administered as part of Pennsylvania for several decades before gaining separate status
Key Facts
- The "Three Lower Counties" (now Delaware) were governed by Pennsylvania from 1682 until Delaware established its own assembly in 1704 and eventually became a separate state
- Delaware’s separation was formalized during the American Revolution, but its distinct identity as a colony had already been established prior to independence
Summary Table
Present-Day State| Relationship to Pennsylvania| Period as Part of
Pennsylvania
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Delaware| Administered as "Three Lower Counties"| 1682–1704 (formally until
1776)
No other present-day U.S. state was formally part of Pennsylvania in the colonial or early statehood period. The boundaries of Pennsylvania otherwise remained largely consistent with its original charter, aside from minor adjustments with neighboring states
