At the outbreak of the War of Jenkins' Ear, the Province of North Carolina raised four companies of one hundred men each to join other colonial troops in the siege of Cartagena in South America during 1741. In addition the colonies had to raise militias to defend their coastal towns and ports. Spanish attacks along the eastern seaboard were intended to disrupt shipping and loot port towns. These raids were continuous from 1741 to 1748 - the Spanish attacked Beaufort Town and Brunswick Town in 1747.