1701..

http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/states/de01.htm

The Royal Charter from King Charles II of England to his brother James, Duke of York, dated March 22, 1682. Delaware’s “Birth Certificate,” the Royal Charter delineates the state’s boundaries and is the basis for all land grants in the state. The Duke of York later granted these lands (now Delaware) to William Penn as an addition to the Province of Pennsylvania. In the upper left corner of this elaborate document is a portrait of King Charles II. The coats-of-arms of England, France, Scotland, Ireland, and the Rose of the House of York line the top and sides. Except for the portrait, which was hand engraved on copper plates and then printed, all the writing and decoration was done by hand with a quill pen on parchment.