Mobile, then called by the French name "Fort Louis de la Mobile", was first established in 1702, at 27 Mile Bluff on the Mobile River, as the first capital of the French colony Louisiana. Following a series of destructive floods, the town was relocated downriver to its present location near the head of Mobile Bay in 1711.
During the Civil War, Mobile was under confederate rule and in 1864 surrendered to the Union army to avoid complete destruction after defending its port for a year. After the war, the city revived and became a very important shipbuilding port producing naval vessels for the military. One of the first submarines was built in Mobile. World War II led to a massive military effort causing a considerable increase in Mobile's population, largely due to the building of Army, Air Force and Naval bases. By 1956, Mobile's metropolitan area had tripled in growth.
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