An overview of archaeological research in Michigan that
reveals the history of the state during the past four hundred years Michigan has long
been an incubator for invention, technology, and creativity. This book explores
this legacy through the historical archaeology of the past four hundred years
in the state, illustrating how Michigan's history reflects the broader American
experience through themes of entrepreneurship, immigration, capitalism, and civil
rights.
Written by three
archaeologists who have dedicated more than 75 years to research in the state,
the chapters in this book describe the construction of encampments and
fortifications that facilitated seventeenth-century European colonization, the rise
of the fur trade and natural resource extraction, and the impact of land
acquisition by white settlers who built farmsteads and logging camps in the
nineteenth century. The authors examine Detroit's urban development, revealing how
industrial capitalism led to inequality and segregation. They also highlight the
pivotal role of Michigan archaeologists within the discipline of historical
archaeology.
The archaeological
findings discussed here, associated with Anishinaabe peoples, settler
colonialism, immigrants, agriculture, industry, and urbanization, illustrate
the distinct ways in which the American experience was lived in Michigan.
The
Historical Archaeology of Michigan brings together a wealth of information
to show how Michigan's people have maintained their sense of belonging and embraced
their citizenship while adapting to economic, political, social, and cultural
challenges.
A volume in the series the American Experience
in Archaeological Perspective, edited by Michael S. Nassaney and Krysta
Ryzewski
