This Is Detroit

by Woodford, Arthur M.

• ISBN13: 9780814329146
• ISBN10: 0814329144
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2001-06-01
• Publisher: Wayne State Univ Pr

Summary

As it celebrates the three hundredth anniversary of its founding, Detroit can look back on its rise from frontier outpost to industrial metropolis. That evolution is now captured in a new book for general readers that traces the entire history of Detroit from its founding in 1701 to the present.

Arthur M. Woodford takes readers back to the days of Cadillac's settlement and leads them through Detroit's transition from French village to British fort to American town. As the city's history unfolds, he describes the issues facing its inhabitants in different eras, including westward expansion, the Civil War, the Great Depression, and two world wars. He also emphasizes the many contributions of Detroit business and industry -- particularly the automobile revolution -- to the nation's development and establishes the city's place in the labor and civil rights movements. Woodford brings his history up to the present day by surveying Detroit's new cultural landscape, focusing on its current renaissance.

Written in a brisk, engaging style and filled with historic ill

Table of Contents

Preface	xi
The River	1	(4)
The First People	5	(10)
The French Village	15	(10)
The British Fort	25	(10)
The American Town	35	(12)
The Road West	47	(16)
The Civil War	63	(12)
An Industrial Center	75	(14)
The Automobile	89	(12)
World War	101	(14)
The Great Depression	115	(12)
A City of Champions	127	(14)
The Rise of Labor	141	(10)
The Arsenal of Democracy	151	(10)
A City of Change	161	(14)
Civil Rights and Civil Strife	175	(10)
A City of Many Tongues	185	(12)
Motown	197	(20)
Tough Times	217	(20)
Epilogue: A New Beginning	237	(18)
Suggestions for Further Reading	255	(2)
Index	257