MacCarthy Island

The island was first settled by Western traders in the 15th century, although by the 19th century it was no longer a viable trading post due to frequent wars between the states of Wuli and Niani. The island was subsequently purchased by the British to use initially as a prison colony after the loss of most North American colonies and later as a military garrison to help protect the traders. A treaty of cession was signed in 1823 in exchange for annual payments to the chief, and the island was formally named MacCarthy Island (after Sir Charles MacCarthy, former Governor General of the British West African Territories). In 1832, Georgetown was founded by the British as a Creole settlement, although it was quickly populated by liberated Africans from elsewhere. The town gradually became an administrative and economic centre for the country. ==References==