06/14/2026
🇺🇸 The Delaware Ride That Helped Create the Flag We Honor Today
Today is Flag Day, a time to celebrate the Stars and Stripes and the freedoms it represents.
But did you know Delaware played a key role in making that flag possible?
On July 1, 1776, Delaware’s delegation to the Continental Congress was split on whether to support independence from Great Britain. One delegate voted yes, one voted no, and the deciding vote was still in Delaware.
Through rain, darkness, and exhaustion, Caesar Rodney rode nearly 80 miles overnight from Dover to Philadelphia to cast the deciding vote for independence. He arrived just in time.
His vote helped secure support for the Declaration of Independence and the birth of the United States.
Less than a year later, on June 14, 1777, Congress adopted the first American flag—the flag we honor today on Flag Day.
As Delawareans, we can take pride in knowing that our First State helped shape the nation that flag represents.
Pictured here is Delaware’s Caesar Rodney statue, now standing in Freedom Plaza along Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C. This photograph was taken on May 2, 2026, as our nation begins celebrating America’s 250th anniversary. Fittingly, the statue faces east, honoring the patriot whose determination and sacrifice helped change the course of history.
One rider. One vote. One nation.
Happy Flag Day, Delaware! 🇺🇸