This is the story of how Americans became Yankee Doodle Dandies in the first place addicted by hypodermic needles full of independence flowing through their collective veins. It was the Colonist's political drug of choice that was the Founding Fathers narcotic obsession with freedom and individuality that has branded the Red, White and Blue since the victorious end of the American Revolution.
To understand early American life, you have to begin your journey of discovery in America the colony, before America the nation and it's people. In repressive 18th Century colonial America, the seeds of colonial dissent were beginning to take root in the revolutionary garden of the North American soil. This garden was heavily fertilized by a collective compost of Thomas Jefferson oratory, "Common Sense" writings of Thomas Paine, and the spirit of independence that was growing like a democratic wild child among the New World populous at the mercy of an Old World British regime that was hell bent on bleeding them dry for the benefit of King and country. In time, Boston would hold one hell of a tea party, and eventually this would all boil over and erupt like a volcano into a full scale battle for freedom from the shackles of King George and his band of Redcoat soldiers, an occupying army on colonial real estate, that had to be dealt with, much like the Vietnamese dealt with American intervention in their country.
But, before King George and the Redcoats, there were the French and their black gowned Jesuit missionaries who not only set out on a crusade of Christian conversion North America's native population, whom they regarded as pagan, but, covertly and sometimes overtly, they were on exploratory expeditions to expand the new world placing it under the crown of France. (The Spanish in early California had the same mission in mind as French missionaries, subjugation, pure and simple, but, in this case, along with Christianity the Spanish also introduced the native populations to very un-Christian like veneral diseases. The Natives eventually got even however, by introducing the European encroachers to tobacco, today one of the worlds leading causes of cancer and death.) The Jesuits searched for and found the River of Legends, (according to native lore) the Mississippi River which would lead them to the Gulf of Mexico.
Further Jesuit exploration of the Great Lakes region would lead them to found the city of Detroit, and Montreal in Upper Canada. The Great Lakes was home to a plethora of pelts to be obtained from a variety of wildlife, which in turn lead to the explosive growth of a fur trade that went into overdrive in order to feed the ever growing demands of Europe's love affair of all things beaver. The French missions, were in reality, established to mark the territory of the Black Gowns, and establish the rights of the crowned heads of France. The entire continent was being dissected by factions of old Europe, with empires to expand, resources to be raped from the earth, and the subjugation of Native peoples who had inhabited the region since 1,000 B.C.
The Great Lakes would see the flags of France, England and Spain fly over the territory that was to become Michigan, before the rockets red glare of the Stars and Stripes. European encroachment in the Great Lakes began with the arrival of Fr. Marquette, a French Jesuit priest who established a mission in St. Ignace, north of the Straits of Macinac in Michigan in 1671. Next to follow were those jaunty French voyageurs and the booming fur trade to feed the insatiable European appetite for pelts and hides.
The French established Ft. DeBaude in St. Ignace as a frontier fortification against possible British invasion.
By 1715 the French built a fort south of the Straits in what is today, Mackinaw City. Fort Michillimacinac. By 1744 the Redcoats made there move against the French black gowned missionaries and their merchantile fur traders, tension built and it was the start of King Georges War. The French had some powerful allies in the Native American tribes who sided with them. By 1759 the French were finally defeated in Montreal after the fall of Quebec. In 1760 the French vacated the fort, and the Red Coats moved in, not forseeing the deadly future on the horizon encapuslated in a simple game of baggatiway, or the Native American version of lacrosse in 1763.
The Redcoast garrison at the fort on the south shore of the Straits of Macinac housed a British garrison of under one hundred soldiers. The surrounding area was home to Native American encampments along side those of the French fur trappers in the region that surely claim the title as the financial center of the fur trade. At one point the Ojibway and Sauk tribes got permission to stage a friendly competition of their game of baggatiway outside the walls of the fort to entertain the settlers and those garrisoned there. The tribal spokesperson said it was to help celebrate the birthday of Britains king. The game was on! When over 500 Indians arrived outside the gates of the fort in 1763 to play ball, the fort was garrisoned by only 35 men at the time. Native women stationed themselves at the gate to the fort to watch the games. No one noticed that even though summer temperatures were warm, the women were dressed in bulky clothing that was more suited to the cold extremes of the northland. But then again, no one knew that under that bulky clothing the women had an arsenal of tomahawks and knives that would be distributed to the braves when the time came and the massacre began. No one also took into account the fact that Chief Pontiac's Rebellion was currently underway in Detroit at the strategic fort on the river. The super bowl of Native play got underway and the gates to the fort were thrown wide open. The garrisons guard was down. As the play continued, the small leather wrapped chunk of wood known as the baggatiway ball was in play and got closer to the the gates of the open fort. When the tribal contestants were within range they were handed weapons from under the coverings of the womens bulky blankets and the slaughter began. The Redcoats scoreboard registered a zero, the tribe scored a shut out, however, they did spare the French from the massacre. The tribes then escaped to their winter hunting grounds far away from the fort to escape British retribution. The British eventuallly repopulated the fort, just in time for the American Revolution. This time, the Redcoats would fight the upstart Yankee Doodle Dandies side by side with new companions and old enemies including some French and some tribal factions who would join forces and wage war against a new common enemy..the Americans fighting for independence! During the heat of Revolt, the British took a second look at the locale of the exisiting fort sitting vulnerable on the beach on the south side of the Straits. In the waters offshore with it's high limestone cliffs for added fortification was Macinac Island. The exisiting fort was moved in 1780 by the British, lock, stock and barrel to the island location.
In the end it was a resounding defeat for the Redcoats, and victory for the Americans who took possession of the fort. Then once again, war on was on the empire builders menu and both the emerging country of America was once again at odds with the British Crown and the war of 1812 was in full swing. The Americans managed to retake the fort in 1812 but the British landed cannon and troops secretly and took possession of the high ground, always the advantage in battle, and fired down on the fortress and once again, the fort was in British hands. In 1814 the war ended and by proclamation of treaty, the fort, once again was returned to American control.
In time as time went by, the fort, no longer on the fighting edge of the ever expanding frontier was considered a relic and of no use anymore as a garrisoned fortress. It went into the military version of mothballs until it re-emerged during the Civil War as a prison to detain merchants accused of being sympathetic to the confederate rebels without a cause.
If you want to relive those madcap redcoat days, Mackinaw City recreates and re-enacts the events of that day so long ago every Memorial Day Weekend for three fun filled massacre days called The Fort Michillimacinac Pageant. They've been doing this for over 50 years, and approximately one-quarter of this resort town of 800 assume roles as either French trappers, Jesuit priests, Redcoats, Native Americans and Colonists in authentic period costume. There are 200 or so others who come from all points of the Michigan compass to also take on roles during the pageant. The pageant features a grand parade, nightly fireworks displays, kids games and the ever popular Paddle Dance, daily re-enactments, clowns (I have no idea how those fit in!) and of course you're invited to have a ringside, beachside seat during the Super Bowl of early American sport, the Baggataway Game and the ultimate storming of the fort. For more information on the festival visit their website at www.fmpcfesitval.org If you participate and are one of the French count your blessings, if you're a Redcoat, off with your head!