History of Wilmington, NC

colonists began settling the area. In 1733, a community was founded on land owned by John Watson on the Cape Fear River, at the confluence of its northwest and northeast branches. The settlement was first called "New Carthage," then "New Liverpool," but gradually took on the name "New Town" or "Newton". Governor Gabriel Johnston soon after established his provincial government there for the North Carolina colony. In 1739 or 1740, the town was incorporated with a new name, Wilmington, in honor of Spencer Compton, Earl of Wilmington.

Some early settlers of Wilmington came from the Albemarle and Pamlico regions of the state, as well as from Virginia and South Carolina, but most new settlers arrived from the northern colonies, the West Indies, and the British Isles. Many of the settlers were indentured servants, mainly of European origin. As the indentured servants gained their freedom, the colonists imported an increasing number of (permanent and much less expensive) African slaves into the port city. By 1767, slaves accounted for more than 62% of the population of the Lower Cape Fear region. Many worked in the port as laborers, and some in ship-related trades.

Naval stores and lumber fueled the region's economy, both before and after the American Revolution. During the Revolutionary War, the British maintained a garrison at Fort Johnson near Wilmington.

Revolutionary era

Wilmington's commercial importance as a major port afforded it a critical role in opposition to the British in the years leading up to the Revolution. Additionally, the city was home to outspoken political leaders who influenced and led the resistance movement in North Carolina. The foremost of these was Wilmington resident Cornelius Harnett, who served in the General Assembly at the time, where he rallied opposition to the Sugar Act in 1764. When the