Civil War and aftermath The advent of the Civil War did not seriously tempt Delaware to secession. Delaware had been slave territory since its days as a Dutch colony, but the number of slaves had declined drastically, mainly through voluntary manumissions, from 8,900 in 1790 to 1,800 in 1860. More important was Delaware's economic bond with Pennsylvania and the North, strengthened by the river trade and the new railroad network. Though Unionist in sentiment, Delaware never voted for Lincoln, and the Reconstruction that followed the Civil War drove many voters to the Democratic Party in sympathy with the occupied South. By the end of the 19th century, however, economic realities had regained importance, and Delaware became firmly Republican and remained so until well into the Great Depression of the 1930s. Bright Star