Fort Michilimackinac facts for kids
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Fort Michilimackinac
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 Location in Michigan
Location in the United States
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| Location | Near Mackinac Bridge, Mackinaw City, Michigan |
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| Built | 1715 |
| NRHP reference No. | 66000395 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | October 15, 1966 |
| Designated NHL | October 9, 1960 |
Fort Michilimackinac was an old fort and trading post from the 1700s. It was first built by the French, and later taken over by the British. The fort was located in what is now Mackinaw City, Michigan, at the very top of Michigan's lower peninsula.
It was built around 1715 and used until 1783. The fort sat right on the Straits of Mackinac. These straits are a narrow waterway connecting two of the Great Lakes: Lake Huron and Lake Michigan.
Today, Fort Michilimackinac is a special place called a National Historic Landmark. It's like an outdoor museum where you can see reconstructed wooden buildings and tall walls, called a palisade.
Contents
Fort Michilimackinac's Story
Early French Presence
The main reason for Fort Michilimackinac was to be a part of the French-Canadian trading post system. This system helped traders move goods from the Atlantic Coast all the way to the Great Lakes. The fort was a key place to get supplies for traders in the western Great Lakes area.
The French first came to the Straits of Mackinac in 1671. That's when Father Marquette started the Jesuit St. Ignace Mission in what is now St. Ignace, Michigan. Later, in 1683, they added Fort de Buade to protect the mission.
However, in 1701, a French leader named Sieur de Cadillac moved the soldiers to Fort Detroit. He also closed the mission at St. Ignace.
Building the Fort
By 1713, the French decided they needed to be back at the Straits of Mackinac. So, in 1715, they built the wooden Fort Michilimackinac. It was located on the northern tip of Michigan's lower peninsula.
They sent a group of soldiers and workers to build the fort. Over the years, they made changes and added to the fort's wooden walls. A French officer, Jacques Testard de Montigny, was in charge of the fort for three years starting in 1730.
British Takeover
The French gave up the fort to the British in 1761. This happened after the French lost the French and Indian War. This war was part of a bigger worldwide conflict called the Seven Years' War.
The British kept using the fort as an important trading post. Most people living there were French or Métis (people with both French and Native American heritage). They mostly spoke French and went to Sainte Anne Church. Some British fur traders also lived inside the fort.
Pontiac's War and the Ojibwe Attack
The Ojibwe people in the area were not happy with the British. The British had stopped giving gifts to the Native Americans, which was a tradition. On June 2, 1763, a group of Ojibwe used a clever plan to enter the fort.
They pretended to play a game called baaga'adowe (like modern lacrosse) outside the fort. Once inside, they attacked and killed most of the British people. This event was part of a larger conflict known as Pontiac's War.
The Ojibwe held the fort for a year. Then the British got it back. They promised to give more and better gifts to the Native Americans in the area.
Moving the Fort
The British eventually decided that the wooden fort on the mainland was too easy to attack. So, in 1781, they built a new fort made of limestone on nearby Mackinac Island. This new fort is now called Fort Mackinac.
Over the next two years, the British moved buildings from the old fort to the island. They took them apart and moved them across the water in summer or over the ice in winter. Even Ste. Anne's Church was moved. After everything was moved, the British leader ordered the old Fort Michilimackinac to be burned down.
Fort Michilimackinac Today
In 1960, the fort's land was named a National Historic Landmark. The fort was then rebuilt to look like it did in the past. This was done using information from archaeological digs.
Today, the fort is part of Colonial Michilimackinac State Park in Mackinaw City, Michigan. It's a big part of the Mackinac State Historic Parks. People who work there, called interpreters, help bring history to life. They play music, show how things were done, and even do reenactments. You can see musket and cannon firing demonstrations.
The park has many reconstructed wooden buildings. These buildings are based on what archaeologists found underground. This site is known as one of the most studied early French colonial archaeological sites in the United States.
The State Park grounds also have other interesting things to see. You can find the foot of the huge Mackinac Bridge there. There's also the Old Mackinac Point Light, which is a lighthouse built in 1892. The park also has a visitor center and a gift shop.
Images for kids
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Recreated buildings inside the fort
