Michigan Civil War Blog

R.E. Lee and the Detroit River?

Well, something like that. A front-page article in today's Freep connects the famous Lee to a far-less known person (and site) across the River in Windsor. Elizabeth Lee died in 1894; her gravestone just emerged thanks to changes in the landscape, and it notes her marriage to Ludwell Lee, who -- according to his Canadian family's oral history -- was a nephew of Robert E. Lee. Fascinating stuff: Lees in the Freep

Clarissa Britain

The latest issue of Michigan History magazine just arrived and in it is an article on this most intriguing individual. Much is not known of her personal life, but at the start of the Civil War she was living in Beaufort, S.C. and made her way back to St. Joseph MI in 1862. In August 1863 she obtained a patent for an improved ambulance design to provide better comfort to wounded soldiers. It's a fascinating article and yet another example of how the Civil War era in Michigan continues to be a treasure trove of new and fascinating insights.

P.S. There's also an article on "Landmark of Liberty: Detroit's Capitol Park" by yours truly.

Last week in Michigan history

From MIRS:

On This Day In Michigan History 

On Dec. 2, 1830, Elizabeth CHANDLER organized the state's first antislavery society.

 

Yesterday in history

From MIRS:

"On This Day In Michigan History

On Sept. 29, 1844, the first iron warship built for the U.S. Navy, the U.S.S. Michigan, was commissioned. It patrolled the Great Lakes until 1911 and was used as a World War I training ship. Source: Historical Society of Michigan"

Check out Michigan and the Civil War: A Great and Bloody Sacrifice for treatment of this subject.

Foundation of Michigan's Lawmaking

The current issue of the Michigan Bar Journal contains a fascinating article by the late Professor Richard Cole of the Western New England School of Law entitled "Foundations of Contemporary Michigan Legal Culture." In the piece, Professor Cole discusses the differences in approach to the law by territorial judge Augustus B. Woodward and Lewis Cass, legendary framer of so much of Michigan's early structure.

It would be a disservice to try summing up the analysis in a single sentence, so suffice to say that more than 200 years after "the American administration of the Michigan Territory began in 1805" we are still struggling with how to approach questions of jurisprudence in a free society.

It is interesting to recall how Michigan Territory had to submit its laws to the U.S. Congress for approval. Congress could disapprove any law enacted by the territorial government, thus exercising a direct veto over the "democratic" institutions that would not occur if Michigan attained Statehood. Another reason why Michigan's mindset on the eve of the Civil War was so foursquare for Union.

5th MI Cavalry presentation

Dan Puscell is giving a talk on Tuesday night April 12^th concerning the 5^th Michigan Cavalry-Company D. It will be held at the Mill Race Historical Village in Northville at the “old” church building. Sounds well worth going.

The significance of a date

Today is the 174th anniversary of the day that Michigan became a State. Pretty significant for those of us here who would rather not be residing in a territory, and given these provisions of Article IV of the U.S. Constitution:

"Section 3. New states may be admitted by the Congress into this union; but no new states shall be formed or erected within the jurisdiction of any other state; nor any state be formed by the junction of two or more states, or parts of states, without the consent of the legislatures of the states concerned as well as of the Congress.

The Congress shall have power to dispose of and make all needful rules and regulations respecting the territory or other property belonging to the United States; and nothing in this Constitution shall be so construed as to prejudice any claims of the United States, or of any particular state.

Section 4. The United States shall guarantee to every state in this union a republican form of government, and shall protect each of them against invasion; and on application of the legislature, or of the executive (when the legislature cannot be convened) against domestic violence."

A bit of a difference, there.

Just as a bit of a difference can have enormous historiographical import: Lincoln pardon altered

Yesterday in Michigan history

On This Day In Michigan History

On Jan. 19, 1864, the state's Legislature sat in an extra session to hear Gov. Austin BLAIR's call for a bounty to be offered to Civil War volunteers.

In Oct. 1863, President Abraham LINCOLN had asked each state in the union to summon 300,000 volunteers or face a draft. At the Jan. 19 session, Blair asked Legislators to legislate how bounties would be paid to these volunteers.

Source: Senate Journal, Extra Session, 1864 [from MIRS Capitol Capsule 1/19/11]

Lincoln and Churchill event

Democracy's Greatest Leaders: Abraham Lincoln and Winston Churchill

January 27th, 2011, 7:00 PM, Gerald R. Ford Museum

Speaker: Gleaves Whitney

"2011 will be a year of considerable reflection. It is the 70th anniversary of America's entry into World War II and the 150th anniversary of the outbreak of the Civil War. The extraordinary leaders of these horrific wars not only led their people to victory; they also helped shape our modern world. Many regard Abraham Lincoln and Winston Churchill as the two greatest democratic leaders of all time. Who really were these men? What obstacles did they overcome? How did they mobilize armies and the English language? Why do they endure in our collective imagination? In his talk, Gleaves Whitney will explore some answers to these questions."

 

 

 

Jeffersonian origins of "Michigan"

On this date two hundred and six years ago, the territory of Michigan came into existence:

An ACT to divide the Indiana Territory into two separate governments.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That from and after the thirtieth day of June next, all that part of the Indiana Territory, which lies north of a line drawn east from the southerly bend or extreme of Lake Michigan, until it shall intersect Lake Erie, and East of a line drawn from the said southerly bend through the middle of said lake to its northern extremity, and thence due north to the northern boundary of the United States, shall, for the purpose of temporary government, constitute a separate territory, and be called Michigan.

Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That there shall be established within the said territory, a government in all respects similar to that provided by the ordinance of Congress, passed on the thirteenth day of July, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-seven, for the government of the territory of the United States, northwest of the river Ohio; and by an act passed on the seventh day of August, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-nine, entitled "An act to provide for the government of the territory north west of the river Ohio;" and the inhabitants thereof shall be entitled to, and enjoy all and singular the rights, privileges, and advantages granted and secured to the people of the territory of the United States, northwest of the river Ohio, by the said ordinance.

Sec. 3. And be it further enacted, That the officers for the said territory, who by virtue of this act shall be appointed by the President of the United States, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, shall respectively exercise the same powers, perform the same duties, and receive for their services the same compensations, as by the ordinance aforesaid and the laws of the United States, have been provided and established for similar officers in the Indiana Territory; and the duties and emoluments of superintendent of Indian affairs, shall be united with those of governor.

Sec. 4. And be it further enacted, That nothing in this act contained, shall be construed so as, in any manner, to affect the government now in force in the Indiana Territory, further than to prohibit the exercise thereof within the said territory of Michigan, from and after the aforesaid thirtieth day of June next.

Sec. 5. And be it further enacted, That all suits, process, and proceeding, which, on the thirtieth day of June next, shall be pending in the court of any county, which shall be included within the said territory of Michigan; and also all suits, process, and proceedings, which on the said thirtieth day of June next, shall be pending in the general court of the Indiana Territory, in consequence of any writ of removal, or order for trial at bar, and which had been removed from any of the counties included within the limits of the territory of Michigan aforesaid, shall, in all things concerning the same, be proceeded on, and judgments and decrees rendered thereon, in the same manner as if the said Indiana Territory had remained undivided.

Sec. 6. And be it further enacted, That Detroit shall be the seat of government of the said territory, until Congress shall otherwise direct.

Nathl. Macon,

Speaker of the House of Representatives.

A. Burr,

Vice-President of the United States, and President of the Senate.

January 11, 1805.

Approved,

TH: JEFFERSON.