It was the colony of Delaware which was once part of Pennsylvania. Delaware was first settled by the Dutch in 1631 and then brought under English control in 1664. Eighteen years later, in 1682, King Charles II gave Delaware and Pennsylvania to a wealthy Englishman called William Penn, to satisfy a debt that the king owed to Penn's father. Thus, Delaware became entwined with the Pennsylvania colony and the two were governed under one administration.
But this situation was not welcomed by the colony's population. Fearful of French attacks, the people of Delaware wanted to raise taxes to pay for army while those in Pennsylvania completely rejected the idea of going to war. So, in 1701, William Penn agreed to re-create the two separate colonies. Delaware and Pennsylvania would share a governor but would have their own separate legislatures and therefore be able to pursue their own policies and agendas. This separation made Delaware an independent colony once again.
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