Kingstown

History

The modern capital, Kingstown, was founded by French settlers shortly after 1722, although Saint Vincent was under British rule for 196 years before its independence.

The botanical garden, conceived in 1765, is one of the oldest in the Western Hemisphere. William Bligh, made famous from the mutiny on the Bounty, brought seed of the breadfruit tree here for planting, c. 1793.

During the Second Carib War the fort at Dorsetshire Hill, just outside the city, was taken by rebels on 12 March 1795.

In 1841, three militia men fired their guns into the air to celebrate the end of their duty. They were arrested for riotous behaviour, but a crowd of people protested their arrest. A riot involving 200 to 300 people broke out after a police officer knocked down a woman and this resulted in the destruction of the police station. 30 people were convicted for participating in the riot. Multiple riots broke out under Governor Edward John Eyre.

Plans for water supply were conceived in 1866, after a large fire destroyed large sections of the town, but this was not completed until 1871.

Minister of Finance Camillo Gonsalves announced in 2025 that the government was going to rename areas of the country as part of a decolonization project. Kingstown was included among the areas to be renamed.