Early History of Raleigh

Before the Founding: Indigenous Roots and Colonial Ties

Before Raleigh was ever a city, the area now encompassing North Carolina’s capital was home to Native American tribes such as the Tuscarora and Occaneechi. These groups lived harmoniously with the land, hunting in the lush forests and fishing in the streams that would later run through the city’s heart. With the arrival of European settlers in the late 1600s and early 1700s, the area began to transform. Colonists, many from England and later from Scotland and Germany, began to farm the land, often clashing with the native populations. By the mid-18th century, Wake County had emerged as a strategic inland region thanks to its elevation, distance from the vulnerable coast, and rich soil. The area remained largely rural, dotted with plantations and small villages until the birth of Raleigh in the wake of the American Revolution.

The Birth of a Planned Capital

In 1792, North Carolina’s legislature voted to establish a permanent capital. Until then, the government had met in various locations, including New Bern and Fayetteville. The commission tasked with choosing the site settled on an area near Isaac Hunter’s Tavern in Wake County—a location close to the geographic center of the state. Raleigh was unique among early American cities in that it was entirely planned from the outset. The city was named after Sir Walter Raleigh, the English explorer who had sponsored attempts to establish the first English colony in North America on Roanoke Island. The layout of Raleigh was inspired by the grid plan of Philadelphia. The heart of the city was Union Square, the site chosen for the new State House, surrounded by four public squares and streets laid out in a regular pattern. Growth was slow but steady, as government workers, merchants, and craftsmen made the city their home.