New Bern is the second oldest town in North Carolina. It was the capital of the North Carolina colonial government and the state capital for a short time until 1792. After the American Revolution, New Bern became rich and quickly developed a rich cultural life. At one time New Bern was called "the Athens of the South." After Raleigh was named as the state capital, New Bern rebuilt its economy with the help of trade routes to the Caribbean and New England. It reached a population of 3,600 in 1815. During the 19th-century Federal period, New Bern was the largest city in North Carolina.