▁addition ▁to ▁a ▁state ▁dem onym . ▁They ▁sometimes ▁refer ▁to ▁residents ▁of ▁the ▁Lower ▁Pen ins ula ▁who ▁live ▁" below ▁the ▁bridge " ▁between ▁the ▁pen ins ulas ▁as ▁T roll s , ▁but ▁this ▁term ▁is ▁rarely ▁self - app lied . ▁ ▁Orig ins ▁ ▁Michigan ian ▁is ▁the ▁term ▁used ▁for ▁the ▁state ' s ▁citizens ▁in ▁The ▁Col lections ▁of ▁the ▁Michigan ▁P ione er ▁and ▁Historical ▁Society ▁since ▁the ▁ 1 8 7 0 s . ▁ ▁Mich ig ander ▁is ▁considered ▁pe jor ative ▁by ▁some ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁circumstances ▁under ▁which ▁the ▁term ▁was ▁co ined , ▁but ▁others ▁perce ive ▁no ▁such ▁negative ▁con notation . ▁The ▁term ▁is ▁attributed ▁to ▁Abraham ▁Lincoln , ▁co ining ▁it ▁when ▁he ▁was ▁a ▁Wh ig ▁representative ▁in ▁Congress . ▁On ▁July ▁ 2 7 , ▁ 1 8 4 8 , ▁Lincoln ▁made ▁a ▁speech ▁against ▁Lewis ▁Cass , ▁who ▁had ▁been ▁a ▁long - time ▁governor ▁of ▁the ▁Michigan ▁Territ ory . ▁Cass ▁was ▁then ▁running ▁for ▁president ▁on ▁a ▁" pop ular ▁so vere ig nt y " ▁platform ▁that ▁would ▁have ▁let ▁states ▁that ▁were ▁conquer ed ▁in ▁the ▁Mexican – American ▁War ▁decide ▁whether ▁to ▁legal ize ▁sla very . ▁Lincoln ▁accused ▁the ▁Democr ats ▁of ▁campaign ing ▁on ▁the ▁former ▁President ▁Andrew ▁Jackson ' s ▁co att ails ▁by ▁ex agger ating ▁their ▁military ▁accomplish ments . ▁ ▁But ▁in ▁my ▁hur ry ▁I ▁was ▁very ▁near ▁closing ▁on ▁the