Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac

Antoine de la Mothe, sieur de Cadillac (/ˈkædɪlæk/,

Antoine de la Mothe,
French:  [kadijak]; March 5, 1658  – October 16, 1730), born
Antoine Laumet, was a French explorer and adventurer in New sieur de Cadillac
France, which stretched from Eastern Canada to Louisiana on
the Gulf of Mexico. He rose from a modest beginning in Acadia
in 1683 as an explorer, trapper, and a trader of alcohol and furs,
achieving various positions of political importance in the colony.
He was the commander of Fort de Buade in St. Ignace,
Michigan, in 1694. In 1701, he founded Fort Pontchartrain du
Détroit (which became the city of Detroit); he was commandant
of the fort until 1710. Between 1710 and 1716, he was the
governor of Louisiana, although he did not arrive in that territory
until 1713.[1]

His knowledge of the coasts of New England and the Great

Lakes area was appreciated by Frontenac, governor of New
France, and Pontchartrain, Secretary of State for the Navy. This
earned him various favors, including the Order of Saint Louis
from King Louis XIV. The Jesuits in Canada, however, accused
him of perverting the Indians with his alcohol trading, and he
Statue of Cadillac in
was imprisoned for a few months in Quebec in 1704, and again Hart Plaza in Detroit, Michigan
in the Bastille on his return to France in 1717.[1]
3rd French Colonial Governor of
Upon his arrival in America, La Mothe adopted his title after the Louisiana
town of Cadillac, Gironde in southwestern France. The city of In office
Detroit became the world center of automobile production in the 1713–1716
20th century. William H. Murphy and Henry M. Leland founded Monarch Louis XIV
the Cadillac auto company and paid homage to him by using his Louis XV
name for their company and his self-created armorial bearings as
its logo in 1902.[2] Various places bear his name in America, in Preceded by Jean-Baptiste Le
particular Cadillac Mountain in Maine and the town of Cadillac, Moyne de Bienville
Michigan. Succeeded by Jean-Baptiste Le
Moyne de Bienville
He was widely hailed as a hero until the 1950s and the rise of
liberal scholarship,[3] but more recent writers have criticized him. Personal details
One, W. J. Eccles, claims that "he most definitely was not one of Born Antoine Laumet
the 'great early heroes' and probably deserves to be ranked with March 5, 1658
the 'worst scoundrels ever to set foot in New France'."[4] Saint-Nicolas-de-la-
Grave, France
Died October 16, 1730
Contents (aged 72)
Castelsarrasin,
Early life
France
New France
Resting place Church of the
Les Douacques
 Michilimackinac (1694–1696) Carmelite Fathers
Le Détroit (1701–1710) of Castelsarrasin
Louisiana (1710–1716) Spouse(s) Marie-Thérèse
Castelsarrasin (1717–1730) Guyon

Legacy Occupation Governor, explorer,

adventurer
References
Known for Founder of Detroit
Further reading
In French Signature

External links
Military service
Allegiance Kingdom of
Early life France

Cadillac was born Antoine Laumet on March 5, 1658, in the Branch/service French Navy
small town of Saint-Nicolas-de-la-Grave in the province of Years of 1675–1718
Gascony (today in the Tarn-et-Garonne, Occitanie).[5] His father, service
Jean Laumet, was born in the village of Caumont-sur-Garonne.
Awards Order of Saint Louis
He became a lawyer in the Parliament of Toulouse. In 1652 Jean
Chevalier
was appointed lieutenant to the judge of Saint-Nicolas-de-la-
Grave by Cardinal Mazarin. He was appointed as a judge in
1664. Antoine's mother, Jeanne Péchagut, was the daughter of a
merchant and landowner. La Mothe's adult correspondence reveals
that his youth included rigorous study at a Jesuit institution where
he learned theology, the law, agriculture, botany and zoology.[6]

In a record of service he filled out in 1675, he said that he had

enlisted in the military as a cadet at the age of 17 in the Dampierre
regiment, in Charleroi, nowadays Belgium. Two years later in
personal letters, however, he reported that he had been an officer in
the Clérambault regiment in Thionville, and in 1682 he had joined House where Antoine Laumet was
the Albret regiment, in Thionville.[6] born

At the age of 25, Antoine Laumet departed from France to the New
World. His father lost a lawsuit against a lawyer in Castelsarrasin that caused him financial difficulties. In
addition, he had lost financial support following the death of Cardinal Mazarin and suffered the current
intolerance against Protestants. Laumet may have embarked on his voyage by devious means, as historians
have not found his name on any passenger list of ships departing from a French port.

New France
In 1683, Antoine Laumet arrived at Port Royal, the capital of Acadia. During the next four years, he
explored his new country in all directions, extending his explorations to New England and New Holland,
pushing south to the Caroline, now North Carolina and South Carolina, and learning some Native
American languages and habits. He probably entered into a business relationship with Denis Guyon, a
merchant of Quebec. On June 25, 1687, he married Guyon's daughter, Marie-Thérèse, 17, in Quebec.[7]

The marriage certificate is the first document that records his new identity. He identified as "Antoine de
Lamothe, écuyer, sieur de Cadillac", and signed as "De Lamothe Launay". Like many immigrants, he took
advantage of emigrating to the New World to create a new identity, perhaps to conceal the reasons that
drove him from France. This new identity "ne sort pas de son sac" ("I did not create this identity out of
nowhere"), as he wrote later. Antoine Laumet likely remembered Sylvestre d'Esparbes de Lussan de Gout,
baron of Lamothe-Bardigues, lord of Cadillac, Launay and Le Moutet; adviser to the Parliament of
Toulouse. He knew him for at least two reasons: Bardigues, Cadillac, Launay and Le Moutet are villages
and localities close to his birthplace, Saint-Nicolas-de-la-Grave, and Antoine's father Jean Laumet was a
lawyer in the Parliament of Toulouse.[6]

The sons likely encountered each other during their studies. Second son in his family, Laumet identified
with the second son of the baron. He used the phonic similarity between his own name and that of Launay,
creating the name: Antoine de Lamothe-Launay. He took the title of écuyer (squire), the rank held by a
family's second son, followed by the title sieur (sire) of Cadillac. This accorded with the Gascon custom
whereby the junior family member succeeds the elder son upon the latter's death. Laumet created a new
name, identity and noble origin, while protecting himself from possible recognition by persons who knew
him in France.

In addition, he presented his own titles of nobility, as illustrated by

armorial bearings that he created by associating the shield with the
three «  merlettes  » (birds with no legs or bill) of the baron de
Lamothe-Bardigues and that of the Virès family (of France's
Languedoc region).[8]

The marriage proved to be a fertile one. The Lamothe-Cadillac

couple had six daughters and seven sons: Judith (1689),
Magdeleine (1690), Marie Anne (1701),  ? (1702), Marie-Thérèse
(1704), Marie-Agathe (December 1707) and Joseph (1690),
Antoine (1692), Jacques (1695), Pierre-Denis (1699–1700), Jean-
Antoine (January 1707 – 1709), François (1709), René-Louis
(1710–1714).
Family coat of arms

Les Douacques

In 1688, the governor Jacques-René de Brisay de Denonville gave

him the concession of the seigniory (estate) of Les Douacques
(which later became the town of Bar Harbor, Maine, well known
today as a tourist town, but then for fishing and lobsters). His
concession brought him no income, even from agriculture.
Lamothe entered into a trading partnership with officers of Port
Royal, an activity facilitated by using a ship owned by his brothers-
in-law Guyon. In 1689, he was sent on an expedition in the vicinity
of Boston. Upon his return, he asked the governor of Acadia, Cadillac motor car logo, c.1950s,
Louis-Alexandre des Friches de Méneval, for a job as notary, to being the coat of arms of Antoine de
bring in a minimum income; his request was turned down. Then, la Mothe Cadillac
Cadillac was introduced to the governor Louis de Buade de
Frontenac in Quebec, who sent him on an exploratory mission
along the coasts of New England, aboard the frigate L'Embuscade (The Ambush). Strong head winds
forced the ship to return to France.[6]

In 1690, Cadillac was in Paris. He became part of the circle of the Secretary of State for the Navy, the
marquis de Seignelay, then of his successor Louis Phélypeaux, comte de Pontchartrain, who appointed him
officer of marine troops. On his return to Port Royal, LaMothe learned that the English admiral William
Phips had seized the city, and that his wife, daughter, and son were being held captives. They were released
in exchange for some English prisoners. In 1691, Cadillac repatriated his family to Quebec, but their ship
was attacked by a privateer out of Boston, who took possession of all their goods.[1]

Cadillac was promoted to lieutenant in 1692. He was sent with the cartographer Jean-Baptiste-Louis
Franquelin to draw charts of the New England coastline in preparation for a French attack on the English
colonies. He set out again for France to hand over the charts, together with a report, to the Secretary of
State Pontchartrain. In 1693, he got an allowance of 1500  pounds for his work and was sent back on a
further mission to supplement his observations. Frontenac promoted him to captain, then lieutenant
commander in 1694.[3]

Michilimackinac (1694–1696)

Cadillac was appointed commander of all the stations of the Pays d'En-Haut (the upper countries). He left
France at the peak of his career to take up his command of Fort de Buade or Michilimackinac, which
controlled all fur trading between Missouri, Mississippi, the Great Lakes, and the Ohio valley. Cadillac
gave his wife power of attorney to sign contracts and notarize documents in his absence.[1]

In 1695, Cadillac traveled to explore the area of the Great Lakes and to draw up charts. He had the idea of
starting a fort in the straits between Lakes Erie and Huron to compete with the English. In Michilimackinac,
he came into conflict with the Jesuit fathers, such as Étienne de Carheil, who accused him of supplying
alcohol to the Indians. This was prohibited by a royal decree.[9]

In 1696, to mitigate the difficulties of fur trading, the king ordered the closing of all trading posts, including
Michilimackinac. Cadillac returned to Montreal. In 1697, he was authorized to return to France to present
his project of a new fort on the strait to the Secretary of State Pontchartrain; Frontenac requested that he be
promoted to lieutenant commander. However, Canadian notables strongly opposed the project which, they
believed, would lead to the ruin of Quebec and Montreal. Only in 1699 did Cadillac get the support of
Pontchartrain to implant the new fort; this was authorized in 1700 by the king, who entrusted its command
to Cadillac.[6]

Le Détroit (1701–1710)

On July 24, 1701, Antoine de La Mothe-Cadillac founded Fort Pontchartrain and the parish of Sainte-Anne
on the straits ("le détroit " in French). He was helped by Alphonse de Tonti. Their wives joined them in
October. In 1702, Cadillac went back to Quebec to request the monopoly of all fur-trading activities and the
transfer to his authority of the Amerindian tribes in the area of the straits. He became a shareholder in the
"Company of the Colony." After return to the straits, he helped in welcoming and settling the native tribes
formerly installed at Michillimakinac.[9]

A fire devastated Fort Pontchartrain in 1703. This disaster destroyed all the registers and records. Cadillac
was recalled to Quebec in 1704 to face charges of trafficking in alcohol and furs. Although he was
imprisoned as a preventive measure for a few months, his name was cleared in 1705. The king guaranteed
him all his titles and granted him the fur-trading monopoly he sought. Two years later, Cadillac was
charged with multiple counts of abuse of authority; Pontchartrain appointed a representative, Daigremont,
to investigate. He formulated an indictment against Cadillac in 1708.[3]

In 1709, the troops stationed on the straits were given the order to return to Montreal. In 1710, the king
named Cadillac governor of La Louisiane, the expansive Louisiana (New France) territory, and ordered
him to take up his duties immediately, traveling via the Mississippi River.[3]
Louisiana (1710–1716)

Cadillac did not obey. He drew up a general inventory of the straits,

and then, in 1711, boarded a ship, with his family, bound for
France. In Paris, in 1712, he convinced the Toulouse-born financier
Antoine Crozat to invest in Louisiana.[10]

In June 1713, the Cadillac family arrived at Fort Louis, Louisiana

(now Mobile, Alabama), after a tiring crossing. In 1714, Crozat
recommended the construction of forts along the Mississippi River,
whereas Cadillac wished to strengthen defenses at the mouth of the
A historical marker that reads: "This
River and to develop trade with nearby Spanish colonies.[6] tablet marks the site of the first lead
mine opened in the Mississippi
In 1715, Cadillac and his son Joseph prospected in the Illinois
Valley about the year 1700. It is
Country (Upper Louisiana), where they claimed to have discovered
named for Antoine De LaMotte
a copper mine, although there is no copper ore in that area. They
Cadillac, governor of Louisiana
established a farm and founded the settlement of St. Philippe on the
1710–1717."
east side of the Mississippi River. Cadillac directed the first mining
of lead in present-day Missouri at what is now called Mine La
Motte on the west side of the river. The French brought in slaves to work at the mine; they were the first
people of African descent in the future state of Missouri. The production of lead was important for
ammunition in the colonies. The Southeast Missouri Lead District is still a major source of that metal.[3]

After many arguments, Crozat withdrew any authority Cadillac had in the company. The following year, he
ordered Cadillac removed from colonial office.

Castelsarrasin (1717–1730)
The Cadillac family returned to France and, in 1717, settled in La Rochelle. Cadillac went to Paris with his
son Joseph. They were arrested immediately and imprisoned in the Bastille for five months. They were
released in 1718, and Cadillac was decorated with the Order of Saint Louis to reward his 30 years of loyal
services. He settled in the paternal home, where he dealt with his parents' estate.[10]

He also made many trips to Paris to have his rights to the concession on the straits recognized. He
prolonged his stay in Paris in 1721, giving another general power of attorney to his wife to sign documents
in his absence. He was finally vindicated in 1722. He sold his estate on the straits to Jacques Baudry de
Lamarche, a Canadian. The French government appointed Cadillac as governor and mayor of
Castelsarrasin, close to his birthplace.[10]

Antoine de Lamothe-Cadillac died on October 16, 1730, in Castelsarrasin (Occitanie), "around the
midnight hour", at the age of 72. He was buried in a vault of the Carmelite Fathers' church.

Legacy
Some of Antoine de Lamothe-Cadillac's far-reaching visions were developed after he had left New France.
For instance, Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville founded the city of New Orleans, near the mouth of the
Mississippi River, in 1718, and it became a major port and city of New France.[9]

The straits became a strategic location. Fort Pontchartrain du Détroit enjoyed an ideal location between the
Great Lakes and the river basins. The fort would be succeeded by Fort Detroit and Fort Wayne and by Fort
Amherstburg and Fort Malden on the opposite shore.
The car brand Cadillac was named after him, and its headquarters
was in Detroit, where Cadillac himself explored.

Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac was honored with a 3-cent stamp on

July 24, 1951, to commemorate the 250th anniversary of his landing
at Detroit in 1701. The stamp's background design depicts Detroit's
skyline as it appeared in 1951 and the foreground shows Cadillac's
landing at Detroit in 1701.[11]
United States postage stamp
On April 20, 2016, the public French high school in Windsor, commemorating Cadillac's landing
Ontario, was renamed in Cadillac's honour.[12] at Detroit

On the green line of the Montreal Metro, Cadillac is named in honor

of him.

References
1. Brasseaux, 2000
2. William Pelfrey (2006). Billy, Alfred, and General Motors: The Story of Two Unique Men, a
Legendary Company, and a Remarkable Time in American History (https://books.google.co
m/books?id=HYFIiIll2eIC&pg=PA70). AMACOM. p. 70. ISBN 9780814408698.
3. Eccles, 1959
4. Yves F. Zoltvany. "Laumet, dit de Lamothe Cadillac, Antoine," Dictionary of Canadian
Biography Online, vol 2 (http://www.biographi.ca/009004-119.01-e.php?&id_nbr=888)
5. Base Mérimée: Maison natale du Chevalier de Lamothe-Cadillac (https://www.pop.culture.g
ouv.fr/notice/merimee/PA00095884), Ministère français de la Culture. (in French)
6. Brasseaux, 2000)
7. Karen Elizabeth Bush, First Lady of Detroit: The Story of Marie-Therese Guyon, MME
Cadillac (Wayne State University Press, 2001)
8. "Origins of Cadillac Crest" (https://web.archive.org/web/20120726164413/http://cadillacdata
base.org/Dbas_txt/Coatarms.htm). Archived from the original (http://www.cadillacdatabase.or
g/Dbas_txt/Coatarms.htm) on July 26, 2012. Retrieved July 23, 2011.
9. Zoltvany. "Laumet, dit de Lamothe Cadillac, Antoine,"
10. Laut, 1931
11. Lovell, Jeffrie H.,"Landing of Cadillac Issue", Arago: people, postage & the post, National
Postal Museum. Viewed March 22, 2014.
12. Conseil scolaire Viamonde, (in French) (http://csviamonde.ca/Viamonde/nouvelles/2015-20
16/Pages/Nous-vous-présentons-l'École-secondaire-de-Lamothe-Cadillac-à-Windsor.aspx)

Further reading
Brasseaux, Carl A. "Lamothe Cadillac, Antoine Laumet de"; American National Biography
Online Feb. 2000 (http://www.anb.org/articles/20/20-00943.html)
Bush, Karen Elizabeth. First Lady of Detroit: The Story of Marie-Therese Guyon, MME
Cadillac (Wayne State University Press, 2001)
Eccles, William J. Frontenac, the Courtier Governor (1959)
Knudsen, Anders. Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac: French Settlements at Detroit and
Louisiana (Crabtree Publishing Company, 2006)
 Laut, Agnes Christina. Cadillac, knight errant of the wilderness: founder of Detroit, governor
of Louisiana from the Great lakes to the Gulf (1931)
Yves F. Zoltvany. "Laumet, dit de Lamothe Cadillac, Antoine," Dictionary of Canadian
Biography Online vol 2 (http://www.biographi.ca/009004-119.01-e.php?&id_nbr=888)

In French
René Toujas, Le Destin extraordinaire du Gascon Lamothe-Cadillac de Saint-Nicolas-de-la-
Grave fondateur de Detroit, 1974
Robert Pico, Cadillac, l'homme qui fonda Detroit, Editions Denoël, 1995, ISBN 978-2-207-
24288-9
Annick Hivert-Carthew, Antoine de Lamothe Cadillac Le fondateur de Detroit, XYZ éditeur,
1996, ISBN 978-2-89261-178-6
Jean Boutonnet, LAMOTHE-CADILLAC Le gascon qui fonda Détroit (1658 / 1730), Edition
Guénégaud, 2001, ISBN 978-2-85023-108-7
Jean Maumy, Moi, Cadillac, gascon et fondateur de Détroit, Editions Privat, 2002, ISBN 978-
2-7089-5806-7

External links
Media related to Antoine Laumet de La Mothe, sieur de Cadillac at Wikimedia Commons
Birth place in Saint-Nicolas-de-la-Grave (https://maps.google.fr/maps?ll=44.064412,1.02147
6&spn=0.00409,0.007451&z=18&layer=c&cbll=44.064315,1.021718&panoid=1uBpX6UdP
ZZMlCDRPDocmg&cbp=12,202.46,,0,-1.04)
Biography, Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online (http://www.biographi.ca/009004-119.0
1-e.php?&id_nbr=888)
A detailed history of Antoine Laumet (http://www.newcadillacdatabase.org/static/CDB/Dbas_
txt/Coatarms.htm)
Catholic Encyclopedia article (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/03131a.htm)
Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/113583180) at Find a
Grave

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