Rising governed New Sweden until the autumn of 1655, when a Dutch fleet under the command of Peter Stuyvesant subjugated the Swedish forts and established the authority of the Colony of New Netherland throughout the area formerly controlled by the Swedes.

By 1868, Wilmington was producing more iron ships than the rest of the country combined[citation needed] and it rated first in the production of gunpowder and second in carriages and leather.

This was made possible by extensive upgrades to area roads and highways and through the construction of Interstate 95, which cut through several of Wilmington's neighborhoods and accelerated the city's population decline.

On April 9, Governor Charles L. Terry, Jr. deployed the National Guard and the Delaware State Police to the city at the request of Mayor John Babiarz.

Babiarz asked Terry to withdraw the National Guard the following week, but the governor kept them in the city until his term ended in January 1969.

East of Market Street, and along both sides of the Christina River, the Coastal Plain land is flat, low-lying, and in places marshy.

The Delaware River here is an estuary at sea level (with twice-daily high and low tides), providing sea-level access for ocean-going ships.

The hilly west side was more attractive for the original residential areas, offering springs and sites for mills, better air quality, and fewer mosquitoes.

Snowfall is light to moderate, and variable, with some winters bringing very little of it and others witnessing several major snowstorms; the average seasonal total is 20.2 inches (51 cm).

[31] Many Wilmington City workers belong to one of several Locals of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees union.

Along with apprehending anyone with drugs or weapons, it was thought that this program would improve the police's database of fingerprints and eye-witnesses for use in future crime investigations.

Emergency medical services are provided through contract with the city's St. Francis Hospital, whose EMS division operates a minimum five BLS transport units at all times of the day.

Advanced Life Support services in the City of Wilmington are provided by New Castle County's EMS Division with two city-based medic units.

[68] Wilmington has become a national financial center for the credit card industry, largely due to regulations enacted by former Governor Pierre S. du Pont IV in 1981.

The Financial Center Development Act of 1981, among other things, eliminated the usury laws enacted by most states, thereby removing the cap on interest rates that banks may legally charge customers.

This law strengthened Delaware's position as a safe haven for corporate charters during an especially turbulent time filled with hostile takeovers.

Delaware has among the strictest rules in the U.S. regarding out-of-state legal practice, allowing no reciprocity to lawyers who passed the bar in other states.

This event, run by St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church, closes down six blocks in the west side of the city the second week of June for traditional Italian music, food, and activities, along with carnival rides and games.

The Peoples' Festival is an annual tribute to Bob Marley, who once lived in Wilmington trying to earn money enough to establish his Tuff Gong music studio in Kingston, Jamaica.

Started in 1994, the Peoples' Festival features reggae and world beat musicians playing original music and Bob Marley and the Wailers songs.

Recent high-rise luxury apartment buildings along the Christina River have been cited as evidence of the Riverfront's continued revival.

On June 7, 2006, the groundbreaking of Justison Landing signaled the beginning of Wilmington's largest residential project since Bancroft Park was built after World War II.

Interstate 95, which splits Wilmington roughly into eastern and western halves, provides access to major markets in the Northeast and nationwide.

[94] Wilmington Airport (ILG) is located a few miles south of downtown, and offers scheduled passenger service operated by Avelo Airlines.

[103] The Wilmington Blue Rocks, a Minor League Baseball team affiliated with the Washington Nationals, plays at Daniel S. Frawley Stadium.

Since their founding in 2015, the USA Rugby League expansion club Delaware Black Foxes have been based in the city at Eden Park Stadium.

The Delaware Distance Classic is a 15K road race held in October by the Pike Creek Valley Running Club (PCVRC).

Great Oaks Charter School and Kuumba Academy are housed in the Community Education Building (a/k/a "C.E.B"), formerly known as Bracebridge IV, acquired by Bank of America from MBNA Corp. in 1997 and donated to The Longwood Foundation in 2012.

By 1981,[citation needed] the four current districts in northern New Castle County, Brandywine, Christina, Colonial, and Red Clay, each composed of city and suburban areas, were established, all of which were majority white at the time.

[118] In 2015, Mark Murphy, Delaware's secretary for Education, expressed support for re-establishing a comprehensive high school in Wilmington.