1. Migrating to Michigan
How settlers began to move (migrate) to Michigan and build farms and villages

2. Review Which American Indian groups lived in Michigan?
The Huron: they came from what is now New York. The Iroquois drove them out of that area. Lived in Detroit area.
Miami: They lived mainly in the southwestern corner of Michigan but there was also a Miami settlement in the Detroit area. Farming was important to them.
Menominee: They lived in the western part of the Upper Peninsula.
What are some of the things you remember about their cultures?

3. Review Why did the French come to the Great Lakes region?
What were some ways the French and the American Indians interacted?
How did the British come to control Michigan?
What were some ways the British and the American Indians interacted?
How did Michigan become part of the new country called USA?

4. Mystery Source
Think pair share ideas on the picture

6. MICHIGAN This is a map of Michigan 200 years ago
Is this a primary or secondary source
Primary it was created a long time ago

7. Map of Michigan now VS. Then

8. What can we conclude about this map
The maps of Michigan were not very accurate, parts are distorted
Shows maps where American Indians lived
Rivers were important to people 200 years ago
There were still a lot of American Indians living in Michigan

9. Michigan 1837
When Michigan became part of the US there were only 2 main settlements: where do you think they were?
Detroit and Mackinac Island

10. New Settlement Land
People slowly came to MI to settle and become farmers
Imagine what it was like to move to a brand new place that had few roads, few maps to describe the land
Draw what you think it looked like
On the back make a list of challenges facing these early MI pioneers

11. At the time:
Wagons
Wild animals
No bridges
Fallen trees
No stores

12. Michigan early Settlement
Without many roads people could get lost
it would be hard to get a wagon through an area that had no roads
if there were no roads there were probably no bridges across streams
there were no bridges so even small creeks were a problem
there were probably a lot of things in the way like fallen trees
wild animals
had to make own house
had to find food
clear land in order to grow food
Compare to Pioneer Life Chart

13. How do you think historians learned about early pioneer life in Michigan that occurred around 200 years ago?
Some early settlers wrote in journals or diaries
Studied artifacts from where they lived
One place is called the “Ponton Site” in Chippewa Nature Center near Midland MI.
Where Artifacts were found like
Gold nuggets
Coins
Pottery

14. Population grew very slow because
It was hard to travel to Michigan
Coming by water took a long time and was described as dangerous, unreliable and uncomfortable
Coming by land meant traveling on rocky, muddy roads and often having to cross an area knows as the Black Swamp in Northwestern Ohio

15. Black Swamp

16. Black swamp

17. The Great Black Swamp

18. Michigan land
The early surveys were inaccurate. They reported that MI was a land of unhealthful swamps and a sandy waste not suitable for farming
People in the eastern part of the US didn’t feel MI had a lot to offer especially to farmers.

19. What kinds of things do you think could have been done to solve some of the problems that were keeping settlers from coming to MI?
Build better roads
Find a better way to travel by boat
Build towns to get people to come
Survey MI more accurately so better maps could be made

20. Think of two causes and effects of few people coming to settle in MI in the early 1800s
Cause: People thought MI did not have good farm land
Effect: Few towns were started
Cause: It was hard to get to MI
Effect: The population grew slowly

21. Next Time
Michigan Becoming a State

22. Fort Mackinac