Communities of British Detroit During the Revolution

Detroit early on was a multi-ethnic and multi-cultural community which showcased the various indivuals and cultures who peopled the Great Lakes region of the 18th century. The settlewment served as a major crossroads for those engaging in the fur trade whether it be French-Canadians to the  Indigenous Anishinaabeg people. 

During the American Revolution the settlement served as a staging ground for indigenous raids along the frontier as the British attempted to secure the Ohio Country from the American colonists. The fort also served as a prison for captured American soldiers throughout the war. 

This exhibit will demonstrate that long before before Detroit was the modern American city we know it as today, it was a meeting point for many different peoples and communities. Fort Detroit as it was known under British rule was a central hub in the fur trade for the Great Lakes along with being a major player in the American war for independence, all on the frontier.

This exhbit will examine the communities of people which lived and worked in Detroit in the latter half of the 18th century. It will act as an examination Detroit's role during the American Revolution as well as individual profiles of the different groups which made up the early settlement.