 SHOWS

 THIS DAY IN HISTORY

 SCHEDULE
 TOPICS
 STORIES
 AD CHOICES
 ADVERTISE
 CLOSED CAPTIONING
 COPYRIGHT POLICY
 CORPORATE INFORMATION
 EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES
 FAQ/CONTACT US
 PRIVACY NOTICE
 TERMS OF USE
 TV PARENTAL GUIDELINES
 RSS FEEDS
 ACCESSIBILITY SUPPORT
 PRIVACY SETTINGS




UPDATED:

APR 29, 2020

ORIGINAL:

NOV 9, 2009
 Michigan
HISTORY.COM EDITORS





CONTENTS

1. Interesting Facts

2. PHOTO GALLERIES
Michigan, the Wolverine State, joined the union in 1837. Located in the center
of the Great Lakes, Michigan is divided into two land masses known as the
Upper and Lower Peninsulas. The Mackinac Bridge, which connects
Michigan’s upper peninsula to the rest of the state, spans five miles and is one
of the world’s longest suspension bridges. Detroit, the state’s largest city, is
the home of the American auto industry and is the birthplace of Motown
Records.

Date of Statehood: January 26, 1837

Capital: Lansing

Population: 9,883,640 (2010)

Size: 96,713 square miles

Nickname(s): Wolverine State; Great Lakes State; Water Winter Wonderland

Motto: Si quaeris peninsulam amoenam circumspice (“If you seek a pleasant

peninsula, look about you”)
Tree: White Pine

Flower: Apple Blossom

Bird: Robin

Interesting Facts
 Although the Treaty of Paris granted the Northwest Territories to the
United States in 1783, most of the settlers and Native American Indians
living in Detroit favored the British, who continued to maintain control. It
wasn’t until a coalition of Indian tribes, known as the Western Confederacy,
lost the Battle of Fallen Timbers in 1795 that the British finally evacuated in
1796 and the new United States took control.
 In 1874, John Ward Westcott established a marine company to deliver
destination and dock information to passing ships by sending messages up
a rope on a pail. In 1948, the J.W. Westcott became an official mail boat of
the U.S. Postal Service, and later acquired the world’s first floating postal
zip code: 48222.
 The first moving automobile assembly line began operations in Henry
Ford’s Highland Park plant in 1913, reducing chassis assembly from 12 and
one half hours to 93 minutes within a year.
 The five-mile long Mackinac Bridge, linking the Upper and Lower
peninsulas of Michigan across the Straits of Mackinac, took more than
three years to complete and was the world’s longest suspension bridge
between anchorages when it was first opened to traffic in 1957.
 Michigan has more than 11,000 inland lakes, greater than 36,000 miles
of streams and 3,126 miles of shoreline along the Great Lakes.
 The Great Lakes contain more than 80 percent of North America’s—and
more than 20 percent of the world’s—surface fresh water supply.
 Michigan borders four of the five Great Lakes: Superior, Michigan,
Huron and Erie.
PHOTO GALLERIES
Michigan

10
GALLERY

10 IMAGES

Citation Information
Article Title
Michigan
Author
History.com Editors
Website Name
HISTORY
 URL
https://www.history.com/topics/us-states/michigan
Access Date
May 15, 2020
Publisher
A&E Television Networks
Last Updated
April 29, 2020
Original Published Date
November 9, 2009
BY

 HISTORY.COM EDITORS





FACT CHECK: We strive for accuracy and fairness. But if you
see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us!

VIDEOS
Mackinac Bridge Connects Michigan
James Earl Jones on Michigan

Illinois

Chesapeake Bay Bridge: An Engineering Challenge

Subscribe for fascinating stories connecting the past to the present.

SIGN UP
RELATED CONTENT

The Toledo War: When Michigan and Ohio Nearly Came to Blows
Utah
The Interstate Highway System

Illinois
Indiana
Minnesota

Iowa
Wisconsin
Nevada

SEE MORE
 Ad Choices
 Advertise
 Closed Captioning
 Copyright Policy
 Corporate Information
 Employment Opportunities
 FAQ/Contact Us
 Privacy Notice
 Terms of Use
 TV Parental Guidelines
 RSS Feeds
 Accessibility Support
© 2020 A&E Television Networks, LLC. All Rights Reserved.