How the American Revolution shaped Mackinac Island

Fort Mackinac on Mackinac Island is connected to America’s fight for freedom because the fort, and its predecessor just a few miles away on the mainland, were directly shaped by the American Revolution. It starts in 1715 — when French soldiers built Fort Michilimackinac in what is now Mackinaw City. For decades, it was the most important fur-trade hub in all of North America. British soldiers took control in 1761. Then came 1776. The American Revolution reaches the Straits of Mackinac, thousands of miles from Boston and Philadelphia. War parties leave this fort to fight American rebels, and the British realize that the wooden fort on the mainland is not safe. So in 1779, they make a bold decision: tear it down, burn what you cannot carry, and build a new fort on the high limestone bluffs of Mackinac Island — where it would be nearly impossible to attack from the water. That is Fort Mackinac, born during the American Revolution, and it stood guard for the next 115 years. Craig Wilson, a historian and chief curator for the Mackinac State Historic Parks, joined Local 4 Live to talk about the incredible history of these two forts and what Michigan’s role was in the birth of this nation.