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, . 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. ==Demographics==