Timeline of Michigan history facts for kids

The flag of Michigan

Michigan has a long and interesting history, from ancient times when giant glaciers shaped its land, to the arrival of early people, and then to European explorers and settlers. It became an important state, especially known for its role in the auto industry.

Ancient Michigan: Nature and Early People

• 13,000 to 12,000 BC: Imagine a giant ice sheet, like a huge frozen blanket, slowly melting away. This was the last major glacier, called the Wisconsin glaciation. As it melted, it carved out the Great Lakes and shaped Michigan's Upper and Lower Peninsulas. The land left behind was cold and treeless, like a tundra.
• 12,800 BC: Huge, furry animals like Mastodons, which were like ancient elephants, started to appear in Michigan. We know this from their fossils, which are remains found in rocks.
• 11,000 to 9,000 BC: The first people, called Paleo-Indians, arrived in Michigan. They left behind sharp stone tools, like special spear points, which tell us they lived here long ago.

French Explorers and Settlers

• Early Explorers: In the early 1600s, French explorers like Étienne Brûlé and Jean Nicolet were among the first Europeans to travel through Michigan. They paddled canoes up rivers and across the Great Lakes, exploring new lands and meeting Native American tribes like the Wyandot and Ojibwa.
• 1641: Jesuit priests, who were Catholic missionaries, followed these routes. Fathers Isaac Jogues and Charles Raymbault reached the rapids of the St. Mary's River and named the area Sault Ste. Marie.
• 1653: A series of conflicts called the Beaver Wars made it dangerous for Native Americans to live in the Lower Peninsula. This also made it harder for Europeans to travel into Michigan.
• Fur Trade Adventures: Explorers like Pierre-Esprit Radisson and Médard des Groseilliers traveled to western Lake Superior to trade furs with Native Americans. Furs, especially beaver pelts, were very valuable in Europe.
• 1668: Father Jacques Marquette established the first permanent European settlement in Michigan at Sault Ste. Marie. This was a big step for French presence in the area.
• 1671: France officially claimed all the Great Lakes region for King Louis XIV. This was a grand ceremony at Sault Ste. Marie, where French priests and explorers declared the land belonged to France.
• 1679: Sieur de La Salle sailed a ship called Le Griffon on the Great Lakes. He explored Lake Michigan and built Fort Miami.
• More Forts: Over the next few decades, the French built several forts to protect their fur trade routes and settlements. These included Fort de Buade at St. Ignace (1683), a mission at Niles (1684), and Fort St. Joseph in what is now Port Huron (1686).
• 1701: Antoine de Lamothe Cadillac founded a new settlement on the Detroit River. He named it Fort Pontchartrain du Détroit, which later became the city of Detroit. His wife and another woman were the first European women to live in Michigan.
• 1712: A conflict known as the Fox Wars broke out in Detroit between the French and the Fox tribe, who had been invited to live near the fort.
• 1715: Fort Michilimackinac was built in what is now Mackinaw City, Michigan, becoming another important French outpost.
• 1758-1760: During the French and Indian War, the British captured key French forts, cutting off supplies to Michigan. In 1760, Fort Pontchartrain du Détroit was peacefully given to the British.

British Rule and American Independence

• 1763: The Treaty of Paris officially ended the French and Indian War. France gave all its lands east of the Mississippi River to Great Britain, which meant Michigan became British territory.
• Pontiac's War: Soon after, a brave Odawa leader named Pontiac led a major uprising of Native Americans against the British. They even surrounded Fort Detroit for a long time.
• New Borders: The British King, George III, declared that most of the newly acquired land would be a special reserve for Native Americans, stopping new European settlements. Later, in 1774, the Quebec Act expanded the borders of Quebec to include Michigan.
• 1783: The American Revolutionary War ended, and the Treaty of Paris gave the land that is now Michigan to the United States. However, the British didn't leave immediately.
• 1796: Finally, under the Jay Treaty, the British turned over Detroit and other posts in Michigan to the United States. Wayne County was then created as a part of the Northwest Territory.

Michigan as a U.S. Territory

• 1805: The Michigan Territory was officially created, with Detroit as its capital. Sadly, Detroit was almost completely destroyed by a fire that same year.
• War of 1812: During the War of 1812 between the U.S. and Britain, Detroit and Mackinac Island were captured by the British.
• 1813: Future-President William Henry Harrison helped the U.S. take back Detroit. Lewis Cass then became the Territorial Governor, a very important leader for Michigan.
• 1817: The University of Michigan was founded in Detroit, becoming the first public university in the state.
• Land Agreements: Through treaties like the Treaty of Saginaw (1819) and the Treaty of Chicago (1821), Native American tribes like the Ojibwe, Ottawa, and Potawatomi ceded millions of acres of land in Michigan to the United States.
• Growing Government: The people of Michigan gained more say in their government. By 1827, they could elect members to a Legislative Council.
• 1824: The Chicago Road was surveyed, connecting Chicago and Detroit. This road became a major route for settlers moving into Michigan.
• 1835: Michigan held its first meeting to write a constitution. Stevens T. Mason became the first Governor of Michigan.
• The Toledo War: Michigan had a small argument with Ohio over a strip of land that included the city of Toledo, Ohio. This conflict, called the Toledo War, delayed Michigan becoming a state.
• 1836: Michigan agreed to let Ohio have Toledo. In return, Michigan received the eastern three-fourths of the Upper Peninsula. This was a big deal, as it added a lot of land to Michigan.
• 1837: Michigan was officially admitted into the United States as the 26th state. It joined as a "free state," meaning slavery was not allowed.

Michigan as a U.S. State

• Early Challenges: The Panic of 1837, a major economic crisis, hit Michigan hard. It affected the state's banks and plans for new projects like canals.
• Copper and Iron: In the 1840s, important mineral discoveries were made. Douglass Houghton reported finding large amounts of copper on the Keweenaw Peninsula (1840), and an Ojibwe man named Marji-Gesick showed a prospector a huge iron ore deposit near Negaunee (1846). These discoveries led to a mining boom.
• New Capital: In 1847, the state government decided to move the capital from Detroit to Lansing.
• Education Grows: The Michigan State Normal College was founded in Ypsilanti in 1849, becoming the first teacher training college west of the Appalachian Mountains. In 1855, Michigan State University was founded as the first "land-grant" university in the U.S., focusing on agriculture.
• 1854: The Republican Party held its first official meeting in Jackson.
• Civil War: From 1861 to 1865, Michigan played a big part in the Civil War. About 90,000 men from Michigan, nearly a quarter of the state's male population, fought for the Union.
• Fires and Railroads: In 1871, large fires burned parts of Manistee and Holland. In the 1870s, railroads began to connect northern Michigan cities, making it easier to transport goods and people.
• 1879: The beautiful new State Capitol building was dedicated in Lansing.
• Automotive Industry: The late 1800s and early 1900s saw the birth of the automotive industry in southeastern Michigan. Companies like Ford, Chrysler, and General Motors were founded, making Michigan the center of car manufacturing.
• 1928: The massive Ford River Rouge Plant was completed. It was the largest factory complex in the world, employing 100,000 people.
• Bridges and Tunnels: The Ambassador Bridge, connecting Detroit to Windsor, Canada, opened in 1929 and was the longest bridge in the world at the time. The Detroit-Windsor Tunnel opened the next year.
• 1937: The Flint Sit-Down Strike was a major event where auto workers sat down in the factories to protest. This led to the official recognition of the United Auto Workers union by General Motors.
• World War II: During World War II, Detroit earned the nickname "Arsenal of Democracy" because its factories produced so many weapons and vehicles for the war effort.
• 1950s and 1960s: Detroit was the 4th largest city in the U.S. in 1950. In 1957, the five-mile-long Mackinac Bridge opened, connecting Michigan's two peninsulas. In 1959, Motown Records began recording music in Detroit, creating a new sound that became famous worldwide.
• 1967: Sadly, race riots occurred in Detroit, causing much damage and loss of life. These events had a lasting impact on the city.
• 1974: Gerald R. Ford of Grand Rapids became the 38th President of the United States.
• Modern Michigan: In 1987, Michigan celebrated 150 years of statehood. In the early 2000s, Michigan faced economic challenges, especially with the auto industry crisis, leading to high unemployment. In 2002, Jennifer Granholm became Michigan's first female governor.