Presents a general survey of the historical development of Michigan from French exploration to the present. Studies the economic, social, and political development of the state as part of the history of the United States.
Goals, Topics, and Objectives
Provides a scholarly look into the social, economic, and political development of Michigan, starting with the civilizations of the First Nations who originally inhabited this state and continuing to the present day. Course also takes advantage of the exceptional historical resources available to students online and through local libraries and historical societies to examine the ways in which national events impacted local communities and provides a thorough understanding of the ways in which Michigan was affected by larger movements in Colonial American and US history. It also introduces students to the ways in which the discipline of history is practiced.
- First Nations' Cultures and Life in the Colonial Era
- Early French Colonial America
- French Michigan in the 18th Century
- Pontiac's War and the War for American Independence
- The Birth of the United States and the State of Michigan
- Economic Transition in the Nineteenth Century: Fur, Copper, Iron Ore, and Lumber
- The Development of Antebellum American Culture and Its Impact on Michigan.
- Michigan and the Civil War
- The Emergence of Industrialization and the Factory System in Michigan
- The Automobile Culture and Capitalism
- Ford's Michigan
- Michigan in the Twentieth Century and the Growth of Urban America
- The Rise and Decline of Detroit
- Civil Rights and Minorities in Michigan
- Michigan in Transition in the Twenty-First Century: Demography, Education, and War
Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to:
1. Outline time and chronology in Michigan history.
2. Identify, summarize, and analyze major elements of Michigan history.
3. Analyze cause and effect in Michigan history.
4. Trace elements of change and continuity in Michigan history.
5. Emphasize parallelism by describing the impact of major events, personalities, and places upon Michigan history.
Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to:
1. Analyze First Nations’ Cultures and Life in the Colonial Era.
2. Identify Major Aspects of French Colonial Life in America.
3. Summarize Major Events in the Birth of the United States and the State of Michigan.
4. Discuss the Economic Transition of the 19th Century in terms of Fur, Copper, Iron Ore, and Lumber.
5. Explain the Development of Antebellum American Culture and its Impact on Michigan.
6. Analyze the Role of Michigan in the American Civil War.
7. Describe the Emergence of Industrialization and the Factory System in Michigan.
8. Identify the Major Aspects of the Automobile Culture and Capitalism.
9. Summarize the Role of Michigan in the Twentieth Century and the Growth of Urban America.
10. Explain the Decline of Detroit after 1950.
11. Analyze the Civil Rights Movement and the Role of Minorities in Michigan.
12. Explain the Emergence of Conservative Politics in America and Michigan.
13. Discuss the Role of the Judiciary in Michigan.
14. Describe the Decline of Industrialization in Michigan.
15. Discuss the Role of Michigan in Transition to the Twenty-First Century.
Assessment and Requirements
Assessment of academic achievement will be identified and implemented by the class instructor. Methods will include, but will not be limited to, individual projects, vocabulary, class participation (discussion and critiques), and tests.
These texts are only suggested. Individual instructors may choose other texts.
- Hyde, Charles K. The Dodge Brothers: The Men, the Motor Cars, and the Legacy. Detroit, MI: Wayne State University Press, 2005.
- Grimm, Joe, editor and compiler. Michigan Voices: Our State's History in the Words of the People Who Lived It. Detroit, MI: Detroit Free Press/Wayne State University Press, 1987.
- Rubenstein, Bruce A. and LawrenceE. Ziewacz. Michigan: A History of the Great Lake State. 4th edition. Wheeling, IL: Harlan Davidson, Inc., 2008.
- Sleeper-Smith, Susan. Indian Women and French Men: Rethinking Cultural Encounter in the Western Great Lakes. Amherst, MI: University of Massachusetts Press, 2001.
Outcomes
- Social Sciences
- Humanities and Fine Arts
- Civil Society and Culture - U.S. and Global
- Category 4: Social Sciences
- Category 5: Humanities and Fine Arts