Fort de Buade facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Fort de Buade
Museum of Ojibwa Culture
Type	Fort
Site information
Controlled by	New France
Site history
Built	1683
In use	1683-1701
Battles/wars	Iroquois Wars - War with the English

Fort de Buade was an important fort built by the French. It was located in what is now the U.S. state of Michigan. Specifically, it was in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. The fort was built across the Straits of Mackinac, a narrow waterway connecting Lake Michigan and Lake Huron. French soldiers lived there from 1683 to 1701. The city of St. Ignace grew up around the fort. This area also had the historic St. Ignace Mission, which was started by Jesuit priests. The fort was named after Louis de Buade de Frontenac, who was the governor of New France at that time.

The First Settlement and Mission

The French-Canadian settlement in St. Ignace began with a mission. Father Jacques Marquette, a Jesuit priest, founded the Mission of Saint Ignace in 1671. By 1680, it had become a busy place. There was the mission itself and a French village with about a dozen cabins. There were also two Native American villages nearby. One was for the Wyandot (Huron) people, and the other for the Odawa (Ottawa) people. Both of these villages were protected by wooden fences called palisades.

In 1681, the Huron and Illiniwek people at St. Ignace had a conflict with the Seneca. The Seneca were a powerful Native American group from what is now New York state. They were part of the Iroquois Confederacy.

Why Fort de Buade Was Built

Trading for furs was a big business back then. Sometimes, the way fur traders did business caused problems. In 1683, Governor Joseph-Antoine de La Barre decided that the French needed a stronger presence in the area. He ordered Daniel Greysolon, Sieur du Lhut and Olivier Morel de La Durantaye to set up a military post. This post was on the north shore of the Straits of Mackinac.

They made the Jesuit mission stronger by adding defenses. La Durantaye became the main commander for all French forts in the northwest. These forts included Fort Saint Louis des Illinois in Illinois, Fort Kaministigoya in Ontario, and Fort la Tourette near Lake Nipigon. He also looked after the region around Green Bay in Wisconsin.

In 1684, La Durantaye led soldiers from Saint Ignace to help Fort Saint Louis des Illinois. This fort was under attack by the Seneca. The Seneca were trying to get more hunting land to control the valuable fur trade. This conflict was part of what was known as the Beaver Wars. Later, in 1687, La Durantaye led French traders and Native Americans from the Straits against the Seneca homeland.

During these years, English traders from New York started coming into the Great Lakes area. They traded at Michilimackinac. This, along with a war starting between England and France in 1689, led to the building of Fort de Buade. The new commander, Louis de La Porte de Louvigné, built the fort in 1690.

Life at Fort de Buade

During the 1690s, Fort de Buade became a base for French and Native American groups. From here, they launched attacks against the Seneca, who were working with the English. The fort was also a very important place for trading furs. It was a spot where weapons and supplies were given out for the war against the Iroquois.

In 1694, Governor Louis de Buade de Frontenac sent a new, energetic commander named Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac to run the fort. Cadillac became quite wealthy while he was in charge. In 1697, a Huron chief named Kondiaronk from Michilimackinac led a successful attack against the Seneca. This victory was a big blow to the Seneca's hopes in the war against the French. Four years later, Kondiaronk played a key role in creating the Great Peace of Montreal. This agreement finally ended the war.

Challenges and Changes

Relations between the fort and the nearby Jesuit mission were sometimes difficult when Cadillac was commander. The missionaries, led by Etienne de Carheil, had concerns about some of Cadillac's business practices. Cadillac was later replaced by Alphonse de Tonty, who was the brother of the famous explorer Henri de Tonti.

In 1701, Cadillac asked for permission to start a new trading post. He wanted to build it on the Detroit River. His goal was to stop British trade goods from entering the Lake Huron area. In this way, Fort de Buade played a part in the early history of the city of Detroit.

The exact end of Fort de Buade is not completely clear. After the soldiers left, French traders continued to visit Michilimackinac. The governor, Philippe de Rigaud Vaudreuil, might have used the fort to store goods for Native American groups. This would have happened until a new fort was built on the south side of the Straits in 1715. After that, very few French people stayed at East Moran Bay. The fort likely either fell apart over time or was taken down. Its remains have not yet been found.

The Fort de Buade, built between 1690 and 1701, was probably a wooden stockade. A stockade is a fence made of strong wooden posts. People believe it was located in the current city of St. Ignace. It might have been on a hill above East Moran Bay, a spot sometimes called "Fort Hill." It could also have been right on the bay's waterfront.

The New Fort at Mackinaw City

Between 1701 and 1715, there was no official French presence at the Straits of Mackinac. However, some unlicensed fur traders likely continued to operate there. In 1715, a French group led by Constant le Marchand de Lignery returned to the Straits. They came to prepare for a war against the Fox nation in Wisconsin.

This new post was called Fort Michilimackinac. It was built on the south shore of the Straits. Today, the city of Mackinaw City in Michigan is located near where this fort once stood. Most of the Huron people moved south to Detroit with Cadillac in 1701. The Ottawa people moved from East Moran Bay to the new fort. The St. Ignace area was mostly empty until the 1800s.

Images for kids

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  Museum of Ojibwa Culture

See also

In Spanish: Fort de Buade para niños