Michigan History

Michigan history is a general survey of the historical development of Michigan from the primitive wilderness to the present; growth of certain political, economic, social and cultural institutions which contribute to understanding Michigan and the Great Lakes area today; and emphasis on relating the history of the state to that of both the area and the nation.

Approaching History

• Introduction to the study of history, its content and method
• Writing about history

Chapter Topics

• Introduction to Michigan and the Great Lakes area
  • Geology
  • Environment
  • Native Americans
    • Origins
    • Tribes
    • Customs and characteristics
• The Seventeenth Century
  • The French:
    • Earliest explorers
    • Fur trade
    • Missionaries
    • Early activities in the Lower Peninsula
• The Eighteenth Century
  • The Duel for Empire:
    • Early Detroit
    • The French and Indian War
    • British control
    • The American Revolution and advent of "American" settlement
• The Nineteenth Century
  • The "Northwest Territory" and growth of Michigan
    • Exploration and immigration
    • The War of 1812
    • Statehood
    • Social and economic emergence from the wilderness
  • The Civil War and its aftermath
    • Michigan's "coming of age"
    • The lumber era
    • The dominance of Republicanism
• The Twentieth Century
  • The Rise of the Automobile Industry and Urbanization
  • War, Boom, Bust, and War
  • Political Developments since 1945
  • Economic Developments since 1945
  • Social Developments since 1945
• The Twenty-first Century
  • Recent cultural trends and prospects for the future