Fort Michilimackinac

The first permanent French presence in the region began in 1671 with the founding of the Jesuit mission Saint Ignace, which was supplemented by a fort in 1683. After the garrison was moved to Detroit in 1701 and the original facilities abandoned, the French returned in 1715 and established Fort Michilimackinac. This wooden fortification was intended to secure control over the Straits of Mackinac. In 1761, the fort fell to the British, a fact confirmed two years later by the Treaty of Paris. Its function as a trading post remained. During Pontiac's Rebellion in June 1763, the fort was captured by Anishinabe warriors through a ruse, who massacred most of the British garrison. It took about a year for the British to regain control. In 1765, Major Robert Rogers took command and undertook controversial exploratory journeys from there. As the wooden structure was considered too vulnerable, Fort Mackinac was built on nearby Mackinac Island in 1781, after which Fort Michilimackinac was abandoned.

The fortress is located in Mackinaw City in Emmet County, Michigan, USA, at an elevation of approximately 177 meters above sea level.

Today, Fort Michilimackinac is a popular tourist attraction and part of the Fort Michilimackinac State Park. Following extensive archaeological research, parts of the original structures have been reconstructed and can be visited. The site is considered one of the most thoroughly researched locations of early French colonization in the USA.

• Fort Ticonderoga (fortress), approx. 922.4 km away
• Castle Clinton (fortress), approx. 1036.3 km away
• Castle Williams (fortress), approx. 1036.8 km away
• Fort Constitution (fortress), approx. 1155.2 km away