In the 17th century, French explorers claimed the Great Lakes region for New France, though the area had largely been inhabited for thousands of years by Indigenous peoples such as the Ojibwe, Odawa, Potawatomi, and Wyandot. French settlers and Métis established forts and settlements, with the region’s name derived from the Ojibwe word ᒥᓯᑲᒥ (mishigami), meaning "large water" or "large lake". After France's defeat in the French and Indian War in 1762, the area came under British control and later the U.S. following the Treaty of Paris (1783), though control remained disputed with Indigenous tribes until treaties between 1795 and 1842. The area was part of the larger Northwest Territory; the Michigan Territory was organized in 1805. Michigan was admitted as the 26th state on January 26, 1837, entering as a free state and quickly developing into an industrial and trade hub that attracted European immigrants, particularly from Finland, Macedonia, and the Netherlands. In the 1930s, migration from Appalachia and the Great Migration of Black Southerners further shaped the state, especially in Metro Detroit.
In the 17th century French explorers claimed the Great Lakes region for New France though the area had largely been inhabited for thousands of years by Indigenous peoples such as the Ojibwe Odawa Potawatomi and Wyandot French settlers and Métis established forts and settlements with the region’s name derived from the Ojibwe word ᒥᓯᑲᒥ (mishigami) meaning "large water" or "large lake" After France's defeat in the French and Indian War in 1762 the area came under British control and later the US following the Treaty of Paris (1783) though control remained disputed with Indigenous tribes until treaties between 1795 and 1842 The area was part of the larger Northwest Territory; the Michigan Territory was organized in 1805 Michigan was admitted as the 26th state on January 26 1837 entering as a free state and quickly developing into an industrial and trade hub that attracted European immigrants particularly from Finland Macedonia and the Netherlands In the 1930s migration from Appalachia and the Great Migration of Black Southerners further shaped the state especially in Metro Detroit