10,000 Americans Kidnapped

The British still wanted to own North America.   They also wanted to control the seas.  The British captured over 1000 American ships and kidnapped over 10,000 Americans.  They also tried to stop Americans from trading around the world.  They fired on American ships.   This led to the Unites States of America to declaring war on the British. 

1800 95% of working population engaged in agriculture.

1794 Jay’s treaty  GET OUT!

Although the Treaty of Paris (1783) ended the American War for Independence, the years following saw relations between America and England deteriorate precipitously. England refused to evacuate the frontier forts in the Northwest Territory; in addition, she seized American ships, forcing American sailors to serve in England's war against France. The United States, for her part, passed navigation laws that were potentially damaging to Great Britain. It was apparent that a commercial war between the two countries would undermine the health of the American economy.

The American statesman John Jay, pressed into service as special envoy, went to England to negotiate disagreements between the two governments. On November 19, 1794 Jay's Treaty was signed, averting the threat of war. 

The Treaty eliminated British control of western posts within two years, established America's claim for damages from British ship seizures, and provided America a limited right to trade in the West Indies.

Although Jay's Treaty provoked a storm of controversy (Jay was burned in effigy by mobs of outraged Americans), President Washington pressed for ratification. The treaty passed the Senate in June, 1795.

Among John Jay's many accomplishments--- president of Congress in 1778, minister to Spain, one of three Americans who negotiated the Paris Peace Treaty, an author of The Federalist and the first chief justice of the Supreme Court--- none was more important than his negotiation of the Treaty with Great Britain in 1794. (from http://www.earlyamerica.com/earlyamerica/milestones/jaytreaty/)

Christian Clemens

In 1796 Christian Clemens surveyed a half-Indian half-French settlement on the Huron River (Clinton).  He later built the first house there.  This area was a part of New France but it was claimed by the British and Americans. However according to Local Historian Ron K Pall Christian Clements was not a nice guy.  He sold land at high prices to settlers then sold them seeds that would only grow the kind of crop that they would have to sell to him.

George Rogers Clark

American Frontiersman George Rogers Clark and about 172 frontiersmen led raids against the Indians and the British.  Go to www.statelib.lib.in.us  to learn more about Clark.  Why did Clark risk his life to attack the British who had larger forces?

General John F Hamtramck

In 1796 General John F Hamtramck was sent to occupy Detroit for the Americans.  This was July of 1796.  At this time Wayne County was formed.  The population was just over 500.  This probably did not count Indians.  This is down from the often over 2,000 count when the British ran the place. Many British loyalists had left for Canada.

In 1796 Wayne County was formed.  It was named after the general Wayne who defended American settlers. And about that time the British loyalists left for Canada.  Canada was considered enemy territory for many years.  Fort Wayne was later built to protect the US from British attack. 

Americans Attack Canada

Believe it or not Americans actually later attacked Canada several times.  Where did the name Canada come from?  “Jacques Cartier, reporting on his 1535-36 voyage, noted that "kanata" was an Iroquois word meaning town, or cluster of dwellings. Other reports have it that early Spanish or Portuguese explorers, disappointed in not finding gold or other riches, derided the country as aca nada or cà nada (here nothing).” So says the University of Alberta at http://www.ualberta.ca/~bleeck/canada/canhist.html.

There was a failed invasion of Canada in 1776.  Why did Americans attack Canada?

In 1805 Detroit burned down when sparks from the pipe of the town’s baker fell into a pile of hay. The resulting fire spread quickly, only the fort was left standing.  Two weeks later the territorial government was formed in Detroit under American General William Hull. The secretary was Stanley Griswold and Justices Augustus Elias Brevoort Woodward, John Griffin and Frederick Bates.  MICHIGAN BECOMES A TERRITORY

When Ohio entered the Union as a state in 1803, the remainder of the Northwest Territory became known as the Indiana Territory. The new capital was at Vincennes, Indiana which three hundred Detroiters protested by signing a petition asking Congress to create a separate territory. January 11, 1805, President Thomas Jefferson signed the

act establishing the Michigan Territory.

 The population of Detroit was 551 and consisted of mostly French, and Indians.  Of course it was a start at law and order, even if it was martial law.   

In 1807 General Hull voided Indian land titles.  How could he do this?  Did he own the land?  The Indians did have deeds and titles to their lands didn’t they?

In 1805 The American emigration had begun and by 1810 Detroit had a population of 750.  Our area was part of the North West Territory until 1815 when it became the Michigan Territory.  The population of the entire Michigan territory was 4762. 

  They fooled a general

In 1812 American General Hull first invaded Canada then without good reason retreated to his strong Fort at Detroit.  General Hull after being attacked surrendered his force of over 2,000 and the heavily armed fort at Detroit to a much smaller force led by British General Brock who with the Indian Chief Tecumseh fooled Hull into thinking they had a much larger force.

In 1812 General Hull ordered Fort Dearborn evacuated. Chief Blackbird at the head of a five hundred-man Pottawatomie and Winnebago ambushed the retreating party. Wells and Heald led a desperate defensive attack up the dune. The wagon-train of women and children was left unprotected. In no time, the Americans were completely surrounded and alone; Half the soldiers were killed and the local militia force was systematically wiped out. One bloodthirsty young warrior slipped into a covered wagon and beheaded twelve children. Mrs. Heald's black slave, Cicely, was one of two women killed while fighting to save the young ones.  Heald was wounded but alive. Wells was not so lucky. His head was cut off and his heart eaten by the chiefs who hoped to gain some of his courage. Despite Heald’s efforts to ransom the survivors, more were killed after the battle. Others remained Indian prisoners for almost a year. Above paragraph paraphrased from http://www.galafilm.com/1812/e/events/ftdearborn.html

In 1813 hundreds of soldiers died from diseases at Detroit during the fall and winter of 1813.

By early 1814 the young United States was insolvent.  The British almost took back the United States in 1814.  They beat the American navy.  They marched on Washington DC.  They burned the Capitol.  They attacked American Forts. 

            The Americans got lucky Major General Andrew Jackson, known to his men as "Old Hickory." managed to beat the British in the Battle of New Orleans.  

In later years groups of Americans also launched attacks on Canada from Detroit.

Fort Gratiot was built in 1814 at Port Huron, as the Americans still considered the British enemies.

Battle on Lake Erie

After decisive naval battles on Lake Erie and other battles, The War of 1812 was over by the February of 1815. 

Because of Put-in-Bay In American Hands to Stay

By 1816 the British had withdrawn, and Detroit was back in the hands of the Americans to stay.    Look up Commodore Perry and a place called Put-in-Bay!  As a child my grandfather took me on a huge steam powered liner named the Put-in-Bay to visit Put-in-Bay.  What was Put-in-Bay and what happened to it?  There were other big Great Lake  side-wheeled-steam powered liners like the Greater Detroit and the Western States.  What happened to them?  What is Put-in-Bay?  What was the battle of Lake Erie?  Must reading!

The war, which ended in late 1814, had a devastating effect upon Michiganians. Claiming that more than half the territory’s population was “destitute,” Territorial Justice Augustus Woodward noted in March 1815, “the desolation of the territory is beyond all perception.”  *13

Settlers came from the eastern United States and from many lands.

Not until the Americans took control of this area and broke the power of the British and their Indian allies was it safe to settle here.  A study by Kentucky showed that 1520 American settlers from Kentucky were murdered in repeated ravages between 1783 and 1790 in the North. In reality the number may have been double that if the years 1700-1830 are factored in.

Beggars

According to reports most Indians were beggars and the French and British gave them much.  The Americans had to feed them.  They even asked for free blacksmith service.  They did not knock but just came in and begged.  This continued all year.  By 1825 they were becoming a big nuisance.  Some would get drunk and lay around.  (Farmer p323)

Some Indians were very trustworthy and had accounts with local merchants.  In 1815 there probably 40,000 Indians in the State of Michigan.  1825 30,000 by 1880 10,141.