The Historical Society of Delaware is proud to present on
short-term loan one of the great treasures of American and Delaware history: Caesar
Rodney's famous "thunder and rain" letter of July 4, 1776. It is the only
surviving personal record of Rodney's heroic ride and vote for American Independence and
will be displayed at the Delaware History Center.
Rodney's brave ride from Dover to Philadelphia, the evening of
July 1-2, 1776, to cast Delaware's deciding vote for independence from Britain turned him
into a Delaware icon. Countless monuments, buildings, schools, streets and districts
are named in his honor. Recently, Rodney's ride was chosen to represent Delaware
nationally as the state's image for the Delaware quarter.
Rodney's "thunder and rain" letter to his brother Thomas
is the centerpiece of an exhibit that explores the time and events leading up to the
American Revolution through Rodney's experiences. More than a dozen letters to and
from Rodney offer insight into his devotion to Delaware and American independence.
They also show him as a real person, with business, family and health concerns.
The exhibit also includes historic images of Caesar Rodney
monuments, his home in Poplar Grove, near Dover, and objects owned by Rodney himself. No
authentic likeness of Rodney exists, but several "imaginary"portraits from the
early 20th century will be displayed.
Rodney(1728-1784) was a dedicated, sincere, and modest public
servant who served contiguously in the Delaware Assembly and the First Continental
Congress. When he received word in Dover that a vote for American independence from
Britain was imminent in July 1776, he had only one night to travel from Dover, Delaware,
to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania --normally a two day journey.
Read
"At long last,
see Caesar Rodney's historic words"
by Harry F. Themal
from the News Journal
Also on Exhibit
