Page images
PDF
EPUB
[merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small]

!

MEN OF PROGRESS

HISTORICAL SKETCHES

BY S. B. MCCRACKEN.

THE CIVIL COMMONWEALTH.

POSITION AND EARLY HISTORY.

area of 712,864 acres.

Geography and Topography-First European Visi- lakes, over 5,000 smaller lakes, having an tations-A French Dependency-Early Explorations-Roman Catholic Missions-First Permanent Settlement-Territorial Sovereignty-Part of the State of Virginia--Claims of Massachusetts

The history of Michigan is essentially modern. As compared with many countries

and Connecticut General George Rogers Clarke having a written history, it is as but of yester

-The Western Reserve-Civil Jurisdiction of the United States.

The State of Michigan occupies a position approximating the center of the North American continent, and is embraced between the parallels 41° 45′ and 48° 20′ north latitude, and the meridians of 82° 25′ and 90° 34' of longitude west from Greenwich. The center of the State is marked by the position of Carp Lake, in Leelanaw County, which is 670 miles in a straight line from the city of New York. The land area of the State consists of two natural divisions, known as the Upper and Lower Peninsulas, and adjacent islands. The Upper Peninsula has its greatest extent from east to west, and the Lower its greatest extent from north to south. The following exhibits the length and breadth in miles, and the number of square miles, and number of acres, in each peninsula:

[merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]

day. The earliest European visitations are placed at about the middle of the seventeenth century, up to which time its only inhabitants were the aborigines, of which the Chippewas or Ojibuays, the Hurons or Wyandots, and the Ottawas, were among the principal tribes. The territory now comprising the State of Michigan was a French dependency, forming a part of what was originally known as New France, the seat of government of which was at Quebec. In 1669 or 1670 explorations were undertaken under authority of the French viceroy or intendant, with which the names of De St. Lusson and La Salle are connected. These explorations were chiefly confined to the great waterways, extending as far as Lake Superior, and from thence by La Salle down the Mississippi River. To aid in his work, La Salle, in 1679, built a small vessel of sixty tons burthen, which he named the Griffin, with which he made the tour of the upper lakes, the first vessel, more pretentious than the Indian canoe, that ever sailed those waters. The official explorations were preceded by some years by the Jesuit missionaries, who were also contemporaneous with them. Among the names prominently appearing in this connection are those of Mesnard, Allouez, Hennepin, and Marquette. There are intimations, not fully verified, of visits by the French navigator, Champlain, to the lake region, as early as 1612.

The first permanent settlement of Europeans in Michigan, having the elements of civil life and municipal regulation, was that

by Cadillac, at Detroit, in 1701. The French sovereignty was terminated by the surrender of Detroit to the British in November, 1760, as the result of the triumph of the British arms over the French in the war that had been waged for some years between the two nations, for supremacy in the western hemisphere. The British occupation continued until July 11, 1796, when the British garrison retired from Detroit and the flag of the Union was raised over Fort Shelby. Detroit was at that time the gateway to the northwest territory, and by its occupancy the sover eignty of the United States was established over the entire territory between the great lakes on the north and the Ohio River on the south. Although this territory was conceded to the United States by the peace of 1783, which terminated the war of the revolution, the occupancy of Detroit and Mackinac Island was continued by the British under various pretexts.

Under the French and British rule the Northwest Territory was politically associated with the Canadas, but became a part of the territory of Virginia upon its occupancy by the United States. Both Connecticut and Massachusetts, however, asserted a color of title to portions of the territory now embraced in the State of Michigan. Connecticut claimed from the 41st parallel of latitude to 42° 2′, and Massachusetts from the last named line to the 45th parallel. These claims were based upon their original charters, which defined their northern and southern boundaries as above given, running from the seaboard west, and presumptively as far west as as far west as the possessions of the English crown, from which their charters were derived, extended. Without discussing the subject, it would seem that these claims were more fanciful than real. But for the action of a Virginian, Gen. George Rogers Clarke, the entire Northwest Territory would have been lost to the United States, and the national boundary line would have been fixed at the Ohio River instead of the great lakes. Gen. Clarke was commissioned by the State of Virginia to undertake

a campaign against the British posts in the northwest, and was granted a small appropriation for the purpose. His success secured the Northwest Territory to the United States in the peace settlement, which thereby became a part of the State of Virginia. This was the opinion held by the late Judge Charles I. Walker, of Detroit, who was consulted by the writer on the subject. Judge Walker had made the subject of northwestern history a study, and no one was better qualified than he to give an opinion with judicial fairness. However, in the cession of the Northwest Territory to the United States, the three States of Virginia, Connecticut and Massachusetts were severally parties. The land embraced in what is known as the Western Reserve, in Ohio, was conceded to Connecticut in consideration of the release of her claimed sovereignty. That is, she "reserved" so much land, reserving title to it, while relinquishing her claim of political sovereignty over the boundaries above described.

A brief reference to the history of the general government in its relation to territorial possession seems appropriate in this immediate connection, especially in view of the recently acquired foreign possessions. The constitution of the United States was adopted in convention in 1787, and the government went into effect under it, through its ratification by the requisite number of States, in 1789. Up to that time the general government was simply a confederation of sovereign states, with very limited powers, and cumbrous in its mechanism. It had, strictly speaking, no territorial jurisdiction. not, and could not, exercise sovereignty over a foot of land that was not included in some one of the States. Territories, as bodies. politic, were unknown. But by the cession of the Northwest Territory, above referred to, a territorial condition was created, and for the purpose of government the ordinance of 1787 was adopted on July 13 of that year. This ordinance was framed in conformity to the acts of cession, and provided for the ultimate division or organization of the territory into

It did

« PreviousContinue »