1. What effect did the French and Indian War have on Michigan?

What effect did it

have on the nation?

The French and Indian was one theater of a much larger European war that raged

across much of the world. When it was over England had won, and summarily took

control of much of north America. The result was disastrous for the Indians, many of

whom had sided with the French. This worsened the already weak relationship between

the Indians and British, who viewed the Indians as a untrustworthy lot.

The presence of the British effectively ended the fur trade. The British where generally

uninterested in the trade and as a result did not value the Indians who acquired the furs.

The Indians loss of there primary means of trade along with the generally poor attitude

of the British towards them eventually lead to Pontiac's rebellion.

The French and Indian war shifted the balance of power in the new world. After the war

England, not France, determined the fate of north America. The importance of this

revolved around the different goals that each power held for colonization. While France

was interested in short term ventures such as the fur trade, the English where more

interested in expansionism. This created a conflict of interests between the English and

Indians, who both had interests in the control of land.

The result of the land conflict between the Indians and the British eventually lead to

violence. This left the British with a few options, spend more resources defending

frontier settlements or place limitations on colonization. The resulting policy changes

made by the British severely hampered colonial expansion, and provided one of the

impetuses for the American Revolution.

2. One result of the French and Indian War was the Pontiac Conspiracy. Explain the

origin of this conflict and its affect on Michigan society.

The Pontiac conspiracy was a large scale uprising by a loose confederation of Indian

tribes from the great lakes region. The primary impetus for the uprising was derived

from the French and Indian war. Many of the Indians had sided with the French. When It

became clear who would be the victor, many of the Indian tribes switched sides. This

worsened the already weak relationship between the Indians and British, who as a

result viewed the Indians as a untrustworthy lot.

After the war relations only got worse. The fur trade was of little interest to the English

who did not control the fashion center of the world. Without a market for there furs

Indian trappers where soon in dire straits. This new dichotomy of a collapsing economy

and poor cultural relations inevitably lead to war.

The war was masterminded by the Ottawa statesman Pontiac. Pontiac believed that if

the Indian tribes worked together they could overwhelm the English forces. To some

degree he was correct, the war resulted in many major Native American victory’s.

Forcing the English to capitulate.

The end result of the uprising was a treaty that formed a basis for a kind of Indian bill of

rights. The British agreed to recognize that the Indians had certain basic rights which

were granted to them by the treaty. This victory created a spirit of cooperation among

the great lakes Indians, following the framework set in place by Pontiac.

1. Describe how each of these invaders significantly changed the Natives of the Great

Lakes so that American society viewed the Natives as “helpless” individuals rather than

“noble” ones.

a. French explorers and traders

b. French missionaries

c. English farm settlers

a. French traders and explorers established a trade system that specialized many

Indians towards the practice of trapping. This shift from subsistence living to a

market economy helped the tribes to both live and work with their new friends.

Unfortunately, this specialization also made the Indians more reliant on their

relation with the French. The traders also had little understanding of tribal life,

which to them seemed primitive and foolish. There reports colored the opinions

of the people who would follow after them.

b. The French missionaries also painted the Indians in a poor light. Missionaries

where concerned with saving souls and maintaining their funding. Because of

this they often depicted the Indians as poor ignorant fools, whose souls where in

need of saving. This created a sort of white man’s burden mentality, which

contributed the native’s helpless image.

c. To the English farm settler, Indians where an obstacle. Their presence

represented a grave danger that the settlers needed to be weary of. This caused

the settlers to portray the natives as savages, wild men from the forest who

caused trouble. This view damaged the status of the natives and made the idea

of a “noble” savage seem implausible.

Two major labor uprisings revolved around the Saginaw Valley region in 1885 and

Calumet in 1913. Thoroughly explain these two strikes, including: rationale for strike,

industry involved, governmental response, and outcome. How do these two strikes

compare to one another and differ from one another? What do these two strikes tell us

about Michigan’s labor history and Michigan’s laborers?

The story of labor in Michigan has in many ways embodied the class struggle that Karl

Marx wrote about in his communist manifesto. The haves and the have-not’s continually

battle for money and power throughout Michigan’s history, And labor strikes serve as

one of the most clear points of battle between these groups. Of these the lumber strike

of 1885 and the calumet strike of 1913 serve as sterling examples.

The lumber strike of 1885 was one of the largest strikes to ever affect the lumber

industry in Michigan. On July 6, 1885 the nation’s largest concentration of lumber mills

were forced to shut down when the mill workers refused to work. Their demands where

simple, a ten hour work day with no reduction in pay. The reaction from authorities was

relatively small. Local sheriffs closed all saloons and warned the strikers against

violence. Ultimately the strike was unsuccessful. The lumber barons where well

established and where therefore able to last much longer than the striking workers. The

1885 strike was also one of the last strikes during Michigan’s lumber era. This was
because the lumbering industry had already peaked by this point, making jobs

increasingly harder to find.

The Calumet copper mines strike of 1913-1914 was one of the most significant strikes

to affect Michigan’s copper industry. The goals of the striking workers included shorter

hours, more pay, and recognition of the union. The miners union, known as the western

federation of miners, helped to organize the strike and support the families of the miners

during the strike. The strike was ultimately a failure; this was a result of multiple causes.

One of the most prominent was a lack of unity. Many of the involved mines where able

to remain operational at a minimal level. This made it possible for the mining companies

to outlast the union which quickly grew low on funds. Another key factor was the

involvement of the federal government, which deployed troops to keep the peace. This

added pressure to the strike which quickly weakened its power. Allegations of corruption

began to run rampant, and the leadership of the miners union began to fall apart. By the

end of the strike, the union had lost more than two thirds of its members.

While both of these strikes took place at different times and in different industries. They

both exemplified a type of class struggle that can be closely compared with Marxian

theory. The low class laborers, felt oppresses, rose up, and where ultimately defeated

by a wealthy upper class. However, the way that the calumet strike was thought

indicated that there had been a shift in the way that strikes played out. The calumet

strike became a battle between two opposing organizations, each with their own leaders
and organization. While the calumet strike was a local failure, it put in place the building

blocks for what would eventually be Michigan’s labor unions, as well as a continuation

of Marx’s theory.