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Quiz about A Quick History of Michigan
Quiz about A Quick History of Michigan

A Quick History of Michigan Trivia Quiz


Michigan, as anyone who was born here can tell you, is a state that one can show (at least in the lower peninsula) a location by holding up a hand and pointing to a part of it. How much do you know about the history of the state?

A multiple-choice quiz by Reamar42. Estimated time: 4 mins.
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Author
Reamar42
Time
4 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
414,794
Updated
Dec 05 23
# Qns
15
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
9 / 15
Plays
164
Awards
Top 35% Quiz
- -
Question 1 of 15
1. Before the Europeans came to the area now called Michigan, there were three main Native American tribes living in the region, the Objibwe, the Ottawa, and the Potawatomi. These peoples were from which large Native American language grouping? Hint


Question 2 of 15
2. Who were the first Europeans to explore the area now known as Michigan? Hint


Question 3 of 15
3. What was the first permanent European settlement in what is now Michigan? Hint


Question 4 of 15
4. Where was the first known European settlement in the Lower Peninsula of Michigan? Hint


Question 5 of 15
5. Fort Ponchartrain was founded in 1701 by the French, between Lake St. Clair and Lake Erie. What city now stands on this site? Hint


Question 6 of 15
6. Michigan was one of the main theaters of the War of 1812. Which battle, that was fought in the state, had the highest number of American casualties in any single battle of the war? Hint


Question 7 of 15
7. Organized as the Michigan Territory in 1818, when was Michigan admitted as a state of the Union? Hint


Question 8 of 15
8. From the 1850s until the 1880s, Michigan led the nation in the production of which commodity? Hint


Question 9 of 15
9. The automobile industry was well established in Michigan, especially Detroit, by 1915. What was the main industry in Detroit prior to the rise of automobile manufacturing? Hint


Question 10 of 15
10. During the era of Prohibition, 1920-1933, one of the most prominent gangs of bootleggers operated in Detroit. What was the gang known as? Hint


Question 11 of 15
11. Built between 1927 and 1929, this bridge connected Detroit to Windsor, in Ontario, Canada. What is its name? Hint


Question 12 of 15
12. During World War II, Michigan automakers and other manufacturers switched to producing war materials. A 1943 incident in Detroit, however, cast a shadow over the achievements of the state's workers. What kind of disturbance was it? Hint


Question 13 of 15
13. With the growth of the automobile industry after World War II, the industrial cities in Michigan grew as people moved in for the greater opportunities. The population of Detroit reached over 1.8 million people by the early 1950s. What population rank in the U.S. did Detroit reach during this period? Hint


Question 14 of 15
14. With shorelines on four of the five Great Lakes, as well as hundreds of inland lakes and rivers, fishing and pleasure boating, plus other aquatic activities, are popular in Michigan. At any point in the state, you are no more than how many miles from a body of water? Hint


Question 15 of 15
15. Michigan, being located on the northern border of the USA, was a good site for bases, as well as anti-aircraft missile sites, for the Air Force's Strategic Air Command. During the Cold War (1948-1991), how many SAC bases were operational in the state? Hint



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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. Before the Europeans came to the area now called Michigan, there were three main Native American tribes living in the region, the Objibwe, the Ottawa, and the Potawatomi. These peoples were from which large Native American language grouping?

Answer: Algonquian

The three Algonquian speaking nations of the Ojibwe, Ottawa, and Potawatomi, related tribes who referred to themselves as the "Three Fires", occupied most of the area that became Michigan when European explorers first arrived in the 17th Century.
2. Who were the first Europeans to explore the area now known as Michigan?

Answer: French

Frenchman Etienne Brule is believed to have been the first European to visit the region now known as Michigan. Brule lived among the Huron nation in western Ontario from about 1610 until 1611, learning their language and customs. Because he made no notes of his expeditions, there is no definitive proof of exactly where he went in the region, but he did report to Samuel de Champlain that he had seen the Sault Ste. Marie area in a 1615 meeting.
3. What was the first permanent European settlement in what is now Michigan?

Answer: Sault Ste. Marie

The city of Sault Ste. Marie, in what is now Michigan's Upper Peninsula, was founded in 1668 by French Jesuit missionaries and explorers Jacques Marquette and Claude Dablon. The site became a fur trading post in the 18th century.
4. Where was the first known European settlement in the Lower Peninsula of Michigan?

Answer: St. Joseph

French explorer Rene Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, founded Fort Miami on the St. Joseph river in the southwest part of Michigan in 1679. The fort was destroyed by the French in 1680, but was quickly rebuilt in 1681. A second fort was built on the site in 1700, and the British took possession in 1763 after the French and Indian War.
5. Fort Ponchartrain was founded in 1701 by the French, between Lake St. Clair and Lake Erie. What city now stands on this site?

Answer: Detroit

Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac founded the fort in 1701 to both strengthen French control of the Great Lakes region and to keep British traders and settlers out of the area. The fort was turned over to the British in 1763, and the Americans took possession in 1796.
6. Michigan was one of the main theaters of the War of 1812. Which battle, that was fought in the state, had the highest number of American casualties in any single battle of the war?

Answer: Battle of the Raisin River

The Battles of the Raisin River, also known as the Battle of Frenchtown and the Raisin River Massacre, were fought in the Monroe, Michigan area between January 18-23, 1813. The American forces, consisting of around 1,000 men, mostly Kentucky militia, were defeated by a smaller British force that was supported by Native Americans.

Some 400 Americans were killed in the fighting, while a further 30-100 were killed by the Native Americans after they had surrendered.
7. Organized as the Michigan Territory in 1818, when was Michigan admitted as a state of the Union?

Answer: 1837

The opening of the Erie Canal brought many new people to settle in Michigan, and statehood was granted on January 26, 1837, as the 26th state. The capital was Detroit until 1847, when it was moved to Lansing.
8. From the 1850s until the 1880s, Michigan led the nation in the production of which commodity?

Answer: Lumber

While the mining of iron and copper were important industries in Michigan from the 1850s on, the main industry in the state was the lumber trade. By the 1880s, most of the old-growth forests had been cut down, and mining and manufacturing were becoming the main industries in the state.
9. The automobile industry was well established in Michigan, especially Detroit, by 1915. What was the main industry in Detroit prior to the rise of automobile manufacturing?

Answer: Cast iron stove production

After the Civil War, the city of Detroit grew rapidly, and was a center of iron production. At least three major cast iron stove manufacturers were located in the city, making it the largest industry in the area. The cast iron stove industry remained prominent until overtaken by the auto industry in the early 1900s.
10. During the era of Prohibition, 1920-1933, one of the most prominent gangs of bootleggers operated in Detroit. What was the gang known as?

Answer: The Purple Gang

Backed by industrial tycoons such as Henry Ford, Michigan instituted a statewide prohibition on alcohol in 1917, though the law was struck down in 1919, a year before the national law went into effect. The mostly Jewish Purple Gang started out as extortionists and thieves in the 1910s, and graduated to bootlegging after Michigan's prohibition law went into effect.

The gang was known for extreme violence, and strong police pressure, coupled with the end of Prohibition, spelled the end of the gang by the early 1930s.
11. Built between 1927 and 1929, this bridge connected Detroit to Windsor, in Ontario, Canada. What is its name?

Answer: Ambassador Bridge

As an important transportation hub for rail traffic and an entry point for trade with Canada, Detroit needed a quicker way to move freight than ferry service. After several proposals failed, the Ambassador Bridge was built and opened in November, 1929. The bridge became the busiest border crossing in North America and carries 25% or more of U.S. trade with Canada.
12. During World War II, Michigan automakers and other manufacturers switched to producing war materials. A 1943 incident in Detroit, however, cast a shadow over the achievements of the state's workers. What kind of disturbance was it?

Answer: Race riot

As Michigan factories turned to war production in the early 1940s, thousands of people, both African-Americans and Southern whites, migrated to the state to take jobs. Tensions were high between the races, and a full-scale riot broke out in Detroit on June 20, 1943. Thirty-four people were killed and almost 2,000 were arrested before U.S. Army troops arrived to restore order by June 22.
13. With the growth of the automobile industry after World War II, the industrial cities in Michigan grew as people moved in for the greater opportunities. The population of Detroit reached over 1.8 million people by the early 1950s. What population rank in the U.S. did Detroit reach during this period?

Answer: 5th

In the 1950 census, the population of Detroit was around 1.85 million people, behind only New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles. Much of this growth was due to migration from the Southern USA.
14. With shorelines on four of the five Great Lakes, as well as hundreds of inland lakes and rivers, fishing and pleasure boating, plus other aquatic activities, are popular in Michigan. At any point in the state, you are no more than how many miles from a body of water?

Answer: 6

Michigan ranks fourth in total numbers of boats registered in the United States, behind only Minnesota, Washington, and Florida. At the turn of the start of the 21st century, Michigan had approximately one million boats registered in a state with a population of just over ten million.
15. Michigan, being located on the northern border of the USA, was a good site for bases, as well as anti-aircraft missile sites, for the Air Force's Strategic Air Command. During the Cold War (1948-1991), how many SAC bases were operational in the state?

Answer: 4

The four Strategic Air Command bases in Michigan were K.I. Sawyer AFB in Gwinn, Kincheloe AFB in Kinross, Selfridge AFB in Mt. Clemens, and Wurtsmith AFB in Oscoda. Selfridge became an Air National Guard base in 1971, while the others were closed after the end of the Cold War in the early 1990s.
Source: Author Reamar42

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor gtho4 before going online.
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