The history of Fredericton stretches from prehistory to the modern day. Fredericton, New Brunswick was first inhabited by the Mi'kmaq and Maliseet peoples. European settlement of the area began with the construction of Fort Nashwaak by the French in 1692. In 1783, the United Empire Loyalists settled Ste. Anne's Point, and in the next year, renamed the settlement Frederick's Town. The name was later shorted to Fredericton in April 1785. Fredericton was incorporated into a city in 1973. Early history The area of the present-day City of Fredericton was first used for seasonal farming by the Mi'kmaq and Maliseet peoples. Maize was a primary crop they grew in the area. In a sense, the site of Fredericton served as a sort of capital for First Nations in the area. Aucpaque, the "principal village" of the Aboriginals in the area, was located a few kilometres up river from the site of present-day Fredericton. 17th century The first European contact in the area was by the French in the late 17th Century, who granted the land to Joseph de Villebon. In 1692, he built a fort (Fort Nashwaak) on the north side of the Saint John River, at the mouth of the Nashwaak River. For a period, Fort Nashwaak served as the capital of the French colony of Acadia. Acadian Governor Villebon, and the location of the Capital of Acadia at Fort Nashwaak on the St. John River, became a source of torment for the settlers of New England. Within weeks of an attack launched from Fort Nashwaak on Pemaquid, Maine (present day Bristol, Maine), the New Englanders struck back. In 1696, an expedition under command of Major Benjamin Church set out to destroy Fort Nashwaak (present day Fredericton). Villebon had been alerted and prepared his defences. On 18 October, the British troops arrived opposite the fort, landed three cannons, and assembled earthworks on the south bank of the Nashwaak River. There was a fierce exchange of fire during the two day battle, with the advantage going to the better-sited French guns. The New Englanders were defeated, with 8 soldiers killed and 17 wounded. The French sustained losses of one killed and two wounded. After de Villebon's death in 1700 and a devastating flood, the fort was abandoned. 18th century The Fredericton area was first permanently settled and named Pointe-Sainte-Anne (often anglicized to Ste. Anne's Point) in 1732 by Acadians fleeing Nova