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The US semiquincentennial celebration will kick off this summer and continue through the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 2026.
There’s no better time to reflect on Delaware’s history, while imagining what the future might hold for the First State.
250 years ago, Delaware, home to the Lenni Lenape, Susquehannock and Nanticoke people, had been colonized as part of Pennsylvania. The counties of New Castle, Kent and Sussex had their own colonial legislature, but they shared a governor with Pennsylvania.
It eventually broke free of Pennsylvania and, shortly after, British rule with the other 12 colonies to form the United States of America. Famously the first state to sign the Declaration, Caesar Rodney rode 18 hours straight from Dover to Philadelphia to break a deadlock on the vote for independence.
As we look toward the next 25 decades, we envision a state that continues to lead as the region adapts to what’s next.
In collaboration with Delaware residents, Technical.ly crafted a vision for what Delaware could look like in 2276, from advancements in technology and sustainability to preserving the state’s unique cultural identity, this vision reflects the ideas and aspirations of the people who call Delaware home.
Scroll down to read it — then let us know what you’d change or add by sending a note to delaware@technical.ly!
A vision of Delaware in 2276, from residents 250 years earlier
As Delaware braces for the future, its first hurdle will be the impact of climate change. With sea levels rising, Delaware — the state with the lowest elevation above sea level — adapts.
Urban architecture is designed for living near or on water and blue technology will be omnipresent. Skyscrapers, adapted to rising water and extreme weather conditions, will house many, as the sprawl of single-family houses will have reverted to nature and agricultural land. Housing will be accessible to all.
The urban center of Delaware shifts downstate, as the Middletown metropolitan area eclipses New Castle County population density.
Transportation looks different, too, with vehicles that evolved from the drones that Delaware startups of today are innovating. STEM startups and electric vehicle legislation in the 2020s have eliminated CO2 emissions. Mass transit connects Delaware cities to each other and beyond, surpassing individual vehicles.
Education will be more equitable and accessible, with traditional brick-and-mortar classrooms a thing of the past. Evolved immersive technology will replace them, expanding access to diverse career training and cultural experiences.
Researchers at the University of Delaware and Delaware State University will have laid the groundwork for 23rd-century technology. As the mysteries of quantum mechanics become resolved, technology will become truly “futuristic” with more complex problem-solving, new materials and even emerging laws of fundamental physics.
The concept of work is augmented by AI coworkers, becoming more common in Delaware’s private, public and academic sectors, allowing residents to work 20 to 30-hour work weeks. Delaware’s most dominant industries will be healthcare and pharmaceuticals.
Technology does not rule over the people, people rule over technology, never allowing it to override Delaware’s human heart and soul.
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