Fort Detroit (Detroit, Michigan)
Detroit · Michigan · French and Indian War, Pontiac's War, Revolutionary War
History & Significance
Established in 1701 on the north side of the Detroit River by Antoine Laumet de Lamothe Cadillac, Fort Pontchartrain du Détroit anchored French colonial ambitions in the Great Lakes. Cadillac founded it on July 24, 1701, deliberately choosing a narrow strait defensible against rivals.
It was named in honor of France's navy minister, the Comte de Pontchartrain. A settlement based on the fur trade, farming and missionary work slowly developed in the area.
During the French and Indian War, Fort Pontchartrain du Détroit surrendered to the British on November 29, 1760 after the capture of Montreal. It was besieged by Indigenous forces during Pontiac's War in 1763.
The British controlled the area throughout the American Revolutionary War, but replaced the French fort with the newly constructed Fort Lernoult in 1779. Eventually more than 900 Indian warriors from a half-dozen tribes would join the siege.
Pontiac lifted the siege on October 15 and withdrew south to the Maumee River. During the Revolutionary War, Detroit served as a staging area for attacks on frontier settlements by British regulars, Butler's Rangers and Britain's Indigenous allies. Britain retained the post until 1796, thirteen years after American independence.
Key Facts
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Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Pontchartrain_du_D%C3%A9troit
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Fort_Detroit
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antoine_de_la_Mothe_Cadillac
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pontiac's_War
- https://www.loc.gov/item/2021668650/
- https://www.detroithistorical.org/learn/online-research/encyclopedia-of-detroit/cadillac-antoine-de-la-mothe
- https://www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/pontiacs-rebellion
- https://historydetroit.com/places/fort_british.php
- https://www.frauncestavernmuseum.org/blogs-posts-fort-detroit
- https://historydetroit.com/people/antoine_cadillac.php
- https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/antoine-laumet-cadillac