Of course Detroit has been the home of Ford, General Motors, and Chrysler. This is very well known. There is a reason that Detroit got its nickname "The Motor City". That being said, there is so much more to Detroit than just automobiles.
To get a sense of Detroit, it is important to look at Detroit from a perspective of historical geography. Detroit has been the place where people have come from all over the world to seek their opportunities in Detroit. However, Detroit is much older than many people might think about.
The city was founded in 1701 as Fort Pontchartrain du Détroit by French explorers, named for the Count of Pontchartrain. Its purpose was to keep the British from advancing further west, and to gain an advantage in the fur trade. It was established by French officer Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac.
At the site of Detroit, a Catholic church was founded, Ste. Anne de Detroit Catholic Church, in 1701. Today, it is the second oldest continually operating Catholic parish in the United States of America. It is listed in the National Register of Historical Places as of the year 1976.
It's location on the Detroit river would prove to be a strategic location. Water was a major mode of travel during the 1700s. Detroit's name means "the straits" in French. Fort Pontchartrain du Détroit's location was no coincidence. The Detroit river was a major shipping ground. The idea was to control the traffic that went through the Detroit river on the way to other places.
France offered free land to people who were willing to settle at Ft. Detroit. By 1765, the population would grow to 800 people. This made Ft. Pontchartrain du Detroit the largest settlement between Montreal and New Orleans.
(Map provided by: http://www.geo.msu.edu/geogmich/french_explorers.html)
Native American peoples were living in Michigan before the French had arrived, the Fox, Ottawa, Huron, and Sauk peoples. Things were friendly between the Native Americans and the French at first. However, conflict would develop between certain Native American peoples and the French, which would lead to the Fox Wars. Later on, tensions between the British and French would lead to the French and Indian War. Fort Detroit would later be surrendered to the British in 1760. In 1796, the Jay Treaty would make Detroit a part of the USA. In 1805, a fire would destroy most of the settlement. The USA and the British would be involved in The War of 1812, and in this war, Detroit would be sought after, as the British tried to take Detroit back in the Siege of Detroit. The USA took it back. Detroit was incorporated as a city in 1815.
Augustus Woodward, Chief Justice of the Michigan Territory, would design a plan for building Detroit, designing a street layout plan similar to Pierre L'Enfant's Washington DC plan, similar to what can be found in Paris and Versailles. Some of the streets would have traffic circles and avenues expanding outward. In fact, Detroit was once called "Paris of the Midwest".
Alot of Detroit's early growth came from its location. It was a major transportation hub with its location along the Great Lakes waterway. As manufacturing, shipbuilding and shipping grew, so did Detroit's fortunes.
Detroit's geography also made it a major stop along the Underground Railroad. The city of Detroit is closer to Ottawa(Canada's national capital) than it is to the USA's capital of Washington DC. Runaway slaves seeking freedom would often pass through Detroit. Detroit is across the river from Canada. There were former slaves living in Detroit and some churches were used as places of hiding slaves. Detroit would be a sanctuary for runaway slaves en route to Canada, and a last stop before getting to freedom in Canada.
Prohibition in Detroit proved to be a matter of geography in some ways. Alcohol was still being distilled in Canada, so some people would find ways to bring it in from Canada along the Detroit river.
When you think about Detroit's history, and geography, and look beyond its reputation as the Motor City, you can find how geography shaped the city of Detroit. Historical geography, political geography, human geography. It started out as a French fort, then an American town, then a sanctuary for runaway slaves, to a major transportation hub, and a major player in the Prohibition days, and a manufacturing hub. This is a city that has underwent many changes over the past 300 years. Geography has played a major part in Detroit's growth as a city.
http://www.historytoday.com/richard-cavendish/founding-detroit
http://www.geo.msu.edu/geogmich/french_explorers.html
http://apps.detnews.com/apps/history/index.php?id=205
http://www.ste-anne.org/dempsey.html
http://apps.detnews.com/apps/history/index.php?id=181
http://www.motorcitycandleworks.com/scents/freedomtrain/
http://detroit1701.org/UndergroundRailroad.htm
http://www.hal.state.mi.us/mhc/museum/explore/museums/hismus/prehist/civilwar/undergro.html
http://apps.detnews.com/apps/history/index.php?id=181
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