Detroit: The Geography

Detroit: The Early Years The British Years: 1760 - 1783

I. British - Native American Relations Detroit: 1760-1783 I. British - Native American Relations Detroit was turned over to the British as part of the French and Indian War in 1760, and British Traders started to arrive in the Spring of 1761. The most immediate change was that the British were not friendly with the Native Americans, and were notoriously tough traders. The British would no longer give ammunition to the Native Americans (for hunting) and the Natives believed that the British were trying to starve them to death.

Detroit: 1760-1783 The Native Americans continued to grow upset until in 1763 Chief Pontiac of the Ottawa tribe summoned a war council. At the war council, Pontiac planned attacks on various British forts all across the Midwest, choosing that he and the Ottawa would attack Detroit. Pontiac and his troops entered the fort for a meeting, but the British knew of the attack and were ready and Pontiac retreated.

Detroit: 1760-1783 Realizing that they could no long surprise the British, Pontiac instead began attacking the farmers who lived outside of the fort. The British sent two officers to negotiate with Pontiac, but Pontiac took them hostage and used them to negotiate, as his troops surrounded the Fort. The stalemate lasted two months, with attacks against the Native Americans having little to no success.

Detroit: 1760-1783

Detroit: 1760-1783 Other Native American tribes had captured other British Forts in the Midwest, but were unable to take Detroit. When fall came, the other Native American tribes such as the Chippewa, and Huron settled peace treaties with the British. After being abandoned, Pontiac made an offer for a peace treaty, and before he getting a response, he returned to his home close to modern-day Toledo.

II. The American Revolution Detroit: 1760-1783 II. The American Revolution Life in Detroit was peaceful between 1763 and 1775. But once the American Colonies declared their Independence from Britain, Detroit’s fort became a base of operations for the British to lead attacks against the Americans in Kentucky, Pennsylvania and Western New York. The British feared that the Americans would counter-attack Detroit and built a stronger fort.

Detroit: 1760-1783 Fort Detroit The Americans never attacked Detroit, and by 1781 the Americans had won the war. The peace treaty turning over the land to the Americans was signed in 1783.

Detroit: 1760-1783 But the British refused to leave. They did not want to loose the fur trade, which was still valuable. The British claimed that the U.S. had not held up their end of the peace treaty and refused to leave the fort. The situation lasted for over ten years, and in that time Detroit even elected two representatives to the new Canadian government. President George Washington sent an army to take back the area from the Native Americans and the British. The army was lead by General “Mad Anthony” Wayne.

Detroit: 1760-1783 After defeating the Native Americans on his way to Detroit, Wayne had no trouble negotiating a treaty with the British to finally give up Detroit in 1794. For his efforts, Wayne county, and subsequently Wayne State University were named after Anthony Wayne.

Detroit: The Early Years The American Years: The 1800’s

Detroit: The 1800’s The First American settlers arrived in Detroit in 1796, and as more followed, they included familiar names like Lt. Colonel John Francis Hamtramck and Judge Augustus B. Woodward. Some of the British citizens stayed, and others left and Detroit was incorporated as an American City in 1802 with a board of Governors, a secretary, an assessor, a tax collector and a marshal. The population dropped after many of the British left, and grew slowly in the early 1800’s. In 1802 there were five hundred citizens (not including soldiers) and about 300 simple wooden buildings.

Detroit: The 1800’s The Small amount of wooden buildings was became a catastrophe on June 11, 1805. John Harvey accidentally started a fire that consumed his barn. Citizens attempted to put the fire out with buckets of water from the river and by using the town fire engine. For all their efforts, the entire city, except for the Fort and one warehouse, burned down within three hours. The citizens stayed in tents and with the farmers on the outskirts of town for the next few days.

Detroit: The 1800’s Father Gabriel Richard, the priest at St. Anne’s, started to organize a relief effort gathering what clothing and food he could gather. During his effort, he was heard to have said: “Speramus meliora; resurgent cineribus” The translation is Detroit’s official motto: “We hope for something better; It will rise from the ashes.

Detroit: The 1800’s

Detroit: The 1800’s When it came time to rebuild the city, the decision was made that the building should be spread further apart, partially for fear that fire could spread again. After securing a thousand acres from the governor of the Northwest Territory, city officials decided that everyone in the city age 17 or older would be given more land, and the leftover land would be sold to raise money for a courthouse and jail. Judge August B. Woodward was in charge of designing the new city

Detroit: The 1800’s Woodward’s original plan was a complicated system of hexagons, patterned after Paris, France and Washington D.C.

Woodward’s plan was too complicated, and was later abandoned but two pieces remain: Downtown, at Grand Circus Park, the bottom half of the hexagon plan is evident. Woodward’s plan called for large lots, which lead to a tradition of Detroiters living in single homes not apartments

Detroit 1818