Hello and welcome to this tour of Dover, presented by Insight Guides. My name is Katherine and I’ll be your guide. This tour takes approximately 90 minutes to complete, not including any time spent touring museums or any buildings.

You can stop at any time and start again at the same spot later. You can follow the route on your phone or simply listen as I guide you from one sight to the next. I’ll be giving you clear directions and the audio will automatically start playing when you get close to the next sight on the tour. Don’t worry if you need to skip a sight as the tour will pick up at the next location. One more thing before we get started – always be aware of your surroundings and be sure to obey all traffic signals.

Dover was the capital of the first state in the Union, a title it earned because it was the first jurisdiction to formally ratify the Constitution. It's a small city of about 40,000 people. With its strong economy, many historical and cultural attractions, and proximity to Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington and the Atlantic Ocean beaches, it's considered one of the best small cities for education, employment and lifestyle.

Today's tour focuses on the history of Dover. But history happens because of people, so there won't be a lot of dates to remember or architectural details about buildings. Instead, we'll talk about the colony swapping hands among various European countries; a clever businessman who straddled loyalties during the Revolution; a murder by mail; a legislative kidnapping; and a colonial version of Caller ID.

Most of our walk will be around the historic town green and the nearby streets. We'll be stopping in front of several buildings, so please be courteous and don't peek inside windows or block the sidewalk or entrance ways.

So, what you are waiting for? Let's meet the people of Dover!

 Photo: Shutterstock