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Local History Information and Links
| 1702 |
Mobile, then called Fort Louis de la
Louisiana, was founded and designated the first capital of the Louisiana
territory which extended from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico. The fort was first
located on the Mobile River north of the present site, but a flood caused its
removal to the present locations in 1711. The fort was rebuilt in 1717 and
named Fort Conde. The name Mobile is derived from Mobile or Maubila Indians who
inhabited the region. |
| 1763 |
The Treaty of Paris ceded Mobile to the
control of Great Britain during which time the colony flourished. The name of
the Fort was changed to Fort Charlotte in honor of the young English queen.
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| 1780 |
Spain declared war on England. A siege was
laid against Fort Charlotte and early that year Mobile fell into Spanish hands.
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| 1813 |
Mobile was captured by United States forces
under General James Wilkinson from both British and Spanish defenders. The next
year, general Andrew Jackson established his headquarters here and successfully
defended Mobile against British invaders. Mobile began a period of great
prosperity and become the commercial center of Alabama and Mississippi.
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| 1861 |
For a brief period after Alabama seceded from
the Union, the Republic of Alabama flag flew over Mobile. Later, the flag of
the Confederate States of America was flown. |
| 1861-1865 |
The State of Alabama became an important port
for the southern cause. Despite a federal blockade, trade was maintained with
Europe and the West Indies. |
| 1864-1865 |
A period which saw a series of land and sea
battles in the area. Federal forces entered the city on April 12, 1865. Mobile
was returned to the control of the United States and has enjoyed a prosperous
existence under the Stars and Stripes to this day. |
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