Michigan’s location among the Great Lakes has positioned it at the crossroads of many worlds. Its first hunters arrived ten thousand years ago, its first farmers arrived about six thousand years after that, and three hundred years ago the French expanded into the territory. This book is a small sample of the words of Michigan’s people—a collection of stories, letters, diary entries, news reports, and other documents—that give personal insights into important aspects of Michigan’s history. Designed to provoke thought and discussion about Michigan’s past, the documents in this reader are expressions of past ideas, markers of change, and windows into the lives of the people who lived during well-known events in Michigan history.
ContentsPrefaceAcknowledgments1. Native Michigan: The Anishinaabeg2. Pays d'en Haut: Arrival of the French3. Indian Country: The British in Michigan4. Under the Stars and Stripes: The Michigan Territory5. A New Frontier: The Pioneer Era6. Coming to America: Immigration to Michigan7. National Crises: Antislavery and Civil War8. The White Pine Era: The Lumber Era9. Wealth from Underground: The Mining Industry10. Social Change: Women's Rights and Progressivism11. A New Industry: The Horseless Carriage12. Hard Times: The Depression and the New Deal13. Organizing Labor: Unionization of Michigan Workers14. Arsenal of Democracy: World War II15. Fight for Equality: Civil Rights16. The Buckle of the Rust Belt: Economic Decline17. Preserving the State: Environment and Health18. Challenges of Old and New: Michigan's InfrastructureRecommended Reading
