NEWS: Senator Blunt Rochester Commemorates America 250 with Tour of the First State

Click here to watch a recap of Senator Blunt Rochester's tour

U.S. Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.) recently commemorated America's 250^th anniversary with a tour across Delaware. With visits to more than 20 different locations up and down the state, Senator Blunt Rochester highlighted Delaware's diverse communities and the unique role the First State played in American history, illustrating the theme of the tour: "The American Story Starts Here."

"This Fourth of July we marked the 250^th anniversary of the great American experiment. In the days leading up to this historic moment, I felt a need to go back to 'we the people' and a journey through our state was born. After all, the American story starts here in Delaware," said Senator Blunt Rochester. "I met farmers, learned from historians, thanked veterans, shared pain and pride with leaders of the Nanticoke and Lenape tribes, marveled at a small business who enabled the Artemis mission, saw what the future holds through the eyes of young campers, and received wisdom from two sheroes - 99 and 108 years old. And what I know for sure is the American spirit endures."

Senator Blunt Rochester's stops included the Golden Fleece Tavern in Dover, where Delaware became the first state to ratify the U.S. Constitution; a full-scale replica of the Kalmar Nyckel ship in Wilmington, which carried Swedish settlers to Delaware in 1638; and the site in Seaford where Harriet Tubman helped an enslaved woman named Tilly escape to freedom. From young children at a New Castle County camp to a pair of centenarians at Whatcoat United Methodist Church, Senator Blunt Rochester asked Delawareans what America 250 means to them. Their responses included:

"America 250 means to me, opportunity. This country has opportunity beyond anything, any place in the world."

"Celebration. Gratitude. Democracy. The future. [A time to] remind ourselves the work we have to put in today to make sure we're around for another 250."

"A time of renewal. A new opportunity for us to rededicate ourselves to the Constitution and what it really means to love neighbors as ourselves."

Videos from Senator Blunt Rochester's tour will be published on her official Facebook and Instagram pages.