Michigan: A Bicentennial History

by Bruce Catton

The late Pulitzer-Prize-winning historian Bruce Catton is known to millions of readers for his absorbing works on the Civil War. In this book, he turns to his native Michigan to tell a story of what happened when a primitive wilderness changed into a bustling industrial center so fast that it was as if the old French explorer Etienne Brule "should step up to shake hands with Henry Ford." The idea that abundance was "inexhaustible--that fatal Michigan word," as the author calls it--dominated thinking about the state from the days when Commandant Cadillac's soldiers arrived at Detroit until his name became a brand of car. Viewed in this light, Michigan is a case study of all America, and Americans in any state will be fascinated. In a colorful, dramatic past, Mr. Catton finds understanding of where we are in the present and what the future will make us face. 

Genres: History, Nonfiction

236 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1976

About the author

Bruce Catton was a distinguished American historian and journalist, best known for his influential writings on the American Civil War. Renowned for his narrative style, Catton brought history to life through richly drawn characters, vivid battlefield descriptions, and a deep understanding of the political and emotional forces that shaped the era. His accessible yet meticulously researched books made him one of the most popular historians of the twentieth century.
Born in Petoskey, Michigan, and raised in the small town of Benzonia, Catton grew up surrounded by Civil War veterans whose personal stories sparked a lifelong fascination with the conflict. Though he briefly attended Oberlin College, Catton left during World War I and served in the U.S. Navy. He later began a career in journalism, working as a reporter, editor, and Washington correspondent. His experience in government service during World War II inspired his first book, The War Lords of Washington (1948).
Catton achieved national acclaim with his Army of the Potomac trilogy—Mr. Lincoln’s Army (1951), Glory Road (1952), and A Stillness at Appomattox (1953)—the last of which earned him the Pulitzer Prize for History and the National Book Award. He went on to publish a second trilogy, The Centennial History of the Civil War, and contributed two volumes to a biography of Ulysses S. Grant, begun by Lloyd Lewis. His other notable works include This Hallowed Ground, The American Heritage Picture History of the Civil War, and Waiting for the Morning Train, a memoir of his Michigan boyhood.
In 1954, Catton became the founding editor of American Heritage magazine, further shaping the public’s understanding of U.S. history. In 1977, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Catton’s legacy endures through his vivid portrayals of America’s most defining conflict and his enduring influence on historical writing.

Reviews

[Evan Brus · Rating 3 out of 5]

An essential for anyone obnoxious enough to care

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a Michigander and a lover of history, this was a great read. I've been digging into how Michigan became a state and this book really opened my eyes as to some of the important events, people, and elements involved in the journey between the beginning way back in the 1600s all the way up to Henry Ford. As a Michigander himself, Catton is able to take a biased approach. In some cases having a bias is a bad thing. In this case, it is not. He has a love for the state that someone from Ohio certainly would not. (Or any other state for that matter). The love runs deep and you see that in how the book is written. While it is a history of Michigan, it is also a story. A story told through the eyes of a Michigander who loves his state. What more could one ask?

[April · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book! Truly piques your interest in the history of our state...very informative without feeling like your reading a text book.

[T.R. Shaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

Catton, of Benzonia, a Pulitzer winning Civil War author, was selected to write Michigan's history for the bicenntennial in 1976. A prominent author in each state took part in a national effort. He tells Michigan's History in a passionate and thrilling manner, full of humor and great stories. My favorite Michigan history book, easy to read and hits all the high points every Michigander should know.

[Readitnweep · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting read and lots of info I had not heard before.

Too wordy in places and could have been edited to be less repetitive- especially towards the end. I very much enjoyed the first half. I don’t know why the automobile was included; there was much detail on Cadillac and Etienne Brûlée but then the stove industry was barely mentioned with little on Ford and interstate highways. It seems the author was in a rush to the finish during the last half.

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’ve been reading this book for 13 years. It was assigned at university and it was a hard read then. I’ve lost and found it over the years, reading a few pages at a time. The content is dry, but yet preachy. I made it through the last 20 or pages by trying to imagine Tim Allen was reading to me in his “Pure Michigan” voice. I generally love books on Michigan History, but this was mostly a goid sleep aid.

[Laurie Sytsma · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was disappointed. This book is way too general to be a real history of Michigan and is so philosophical. The author Bruce Catton also spent way too much time, in my opinion, on the very early history of Michigan and not enough on the more recent history. The last couple pages also painted a bleak commentary of Detroit and our state in more recent years. I plowed through, but all in all, I wouldn't recommend this book.

[Michael McGuinness · Rating 3 out of 5]

‪Finished my first quarantine book. “Michigan: A Bicentennial History” by Bruce Catton. 1976. Helped put the logging industry into better perspective for me. And Lewis Cass was apparently called ‘Big Belly’ by Native Americans.‬

[John Zahodne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting book on the history of Michigan. Really enjoyed the author's insights on history and some of the themes that continue today.

[Beverly Towne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting with an edge of humor and thoughtfulness

[Jordan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great history of my beautiful home. Furs -) timber -) copper and then cars. Michigan always bounces back.

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Perhaps there was a dim awareness that the industrial age was about to break out of this wild, desolate, uninhabitable wilderness-wholly incongruous, as if Etienne Brule shoud step up to shake hands with Henry Ford. Once again, what modern America had to have in unstinted plenty was waiting here in an abundance beyond anyone's dreams. After it was found and used, everything everywhere would be different.

But the setting was strange. The past was still here, and it was impossible to avoid looking at it... "

- Pg. 112, 1976 ed.

If you find this kind of prose spine-tingling (and I, as a bit of a sentimentalist, definitely do), then this book might be for you. Present in most passages is a well-realized feel for the everyday details of Michigan history, but Catton's greatest strength lies in giving a theme to lives of Michigan's people. His is the "everlasting road" of a land that exists "less for itself than what it leads to"; the "prodigal society" that necessitates self reinvention through self destruction; the ongoing cycles of boom and bust. "Michigan" is highly narrative history, and Catton uses the flexibility of this medium well: he imaginatively frames Michigan's varied economic, natural, and political epochs, infusing these subjects with a unique and imaginative perspective

[Jim]

Dated (1976) but interesting reading from a master of narrative history. 19th & 20th century Michigan kind of get short changed but I find Catton's take on Michigan's history interesting. He finds parallels between the fur trade, early logging, mining, railroads & the auto industry. Basically all were predicated on the assumption that the resource that they were exploiting was inexhaustible. His predictions about the auto industry & Detroit in 1976 are rather eerie given where we're at today. But he ends on a hopeful note. Consider this quote: "It is a fatal time to lose the art of associating together. We live in a time of change, and it has a truely explosive quality coming from the new faith by which men nowadays live--the faith in man's capacity to do anything on earth that he really wants to do. Here is the strange new religion, with its own miracle workers and sublime portents. Man's ingenuity will solve every problem and surmount every obstacle, and technological prowess is at last the truly inexhaustible resource that can never be used up. Man can literally do whatever he wants to do."

[Marilyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

50 States and at least 50 Authors 2016 Reading Challenge. MICHIGAN.

An interesting look at the history of Michigan: the explorers, the geography, the fur traders, surveying, lumbering, the railroads, and finally the auto industry. I didn't know that the flags of four different nations flew over Michigan: France, Spain, England, and the United States. I didn't know about the fight between Ohio and Michigan over their shared border and the settlement that was offered to Michigan. There was a map in the front of the book and I lived in Michigan for 22 years, but a few additional maps would have helped.

[Ohit's Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liked it a lot, i would be willing to read about more states if it's done in the same way.