▁the ▁county ▁than ▁the ▁col ony ▁or ▁state . ▁Lar ge ▁parts ▁of ▁southern ▁and ▁western ▁Del aware ▁were ▁thought ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁in ▁Maryland ▁until ▁ 1 7 6 7 . ▁ ▁All ▁of ▁the ▁state ▁has ▁existed ▁in ▁the ▁wide ▁economic ▁and ▁political ▁circle ▁of ▁Philadelphia . ▁ ▁Native ▁Americans ▁Before ▁Del aware ▁was ▁settled ▁by ▁Europe ans , ▁the ▁area ▁was ▁home ▁to ▁the ▁Del aware ▁( also ▁known ▁as ▁Len ni ▁L ena pe ), ▁Sus que h anna , ▁N ant ico ke , ▁and ▁other ▁Native ▁American ▁tribes . ▁ ▁Dutch ▁and ▁Swedish ▁colon ies ▁ ▁The ▁Del aware ▁waters hed ▁was ▁claimed ▁by ▁the ▁English ▁based ▁on ▁the ▁expl or ations ▁of ▁John ▁Cab ot ▁in ▁ 1 4 9 7 , ▁Captain ▁John ▁Smith , ▁and ▁others , ▁and ▁was ▁given ▁the ▁name ▁held ▁as ▁a ▁title ▁by ▁Thomas ▁West , ▁ 3 rd ▁Baron ▁De ▁La ▁W arr , ▁the ▁governor ▁of ▁Virginia ▁from ▁ 1 6 1 0 ▁until ▁ 1 6 1 8 . ▁At ▁that ▁time ▁the ▁area ▁was ▁considered ▁to ▁be ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁Virginia ▁col ony . ▁ ▁However , ▁the ▁Dutch ▁thought ▁they ▁also ▁had ▁a ▁claim , ▁based ▁on ▁the ▁ 1 6 0 9 ▁expl or ations ▁of ▁Henry ▁Hudson , ▁and ▁under ▁the ▁aus p ices ▁of ▁the ▁Dutch ▁West ▁India ▁Company ▁were ▁the ▁first ▁Europe ans ▁to ▁actually ▁occup y ▁the ▁land . ▁They ▁established ▁trad ing - posts : ▁Fort ▁Wil hel mus