The Internet Is Just Discovering How Large The Michigan Territory Once Was

Michigan's state borders are well known and recognized today. Young Michiganders can see a map and spot the southern border with Ohio and Indiana - even with that jagged line in Hillsdale County. So to is the southern border with Wisconsin well defined. The Great Lakes that surround the state also give the state a distinct shape and natural boundaries.

But go back in history nearly 200 years and you'd see a Michigan you'd hardly recognize. The state, which it was a territory once included all of Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa and even portions of the Dakotas. Michigan territory was huge in 1836.

In the map below, Michigan territory that you recognize is in yellow while the 1836 extent of the territory was all in green. Yes, that was all once Michigan.

What's most interesting is that the territory called Michigan grew and shrunk over time based on other territories gaining statehood.

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Briefly, Michigan territory was established in 1805 and included all of the Lower Peninsula and about half of the Upper Peninsula.

When Indiana and Illinois gained statehood in 1818, part of those states former territory - namely Wisconsin and a chunk of northeastern Minnesota were attached to Michigan Territory.

Michigan had those boundaries until 1833 when the remainder of the Louisiana Purchase that wasn't part of another state - Iowa and the eastern Dakotas - were also given to Michigan territory.

This greatest extent of the Michigan Territory lasted just 3 years until 1836. By this point, Michigan was ready for statehood. This was the era of the well known Toledo War which resulted in Congress stepping in and setting the border between Ohio and Michigan. In compensation for losing the land around Toledo, Michigan was granted the entirety of the current Upper Peninsula while all of the westernmost extent of Michigan Territory - today's Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa and the eastern Dakotas became Wisconsin Territory.

The story of Michigan Territory's former borders popped up on Reddit recently (some NSFW language in the link).