In the early 18th century Detroit became an important fur-trading post. In 1760, during the French and Indian War, it was surrendered to the British. France's Indian allies, notably the Ottawa under Chief Pontiac, tried to capture the fort in 1763 but were defeated. The Jay Treaty (Nov. 19, 1794) provided for the evacuation of the British in the Northwest Territories, and in 1796 Detroit came under American control.
In 1805 Detroit became the capital of the newly created Michigan Territory. In that same year a fire destroyed many buildings, and the town had to be rebuilt. Soon after the outbreak of the War of 1812, Detroit was again surrendered to the British, but the Americans recaptured it in September 1813. In 1815 Detroit was incorporated as a city.
In 1818 the first steamboat on the upper Great Lakes began regular runs between Buffalo, N.Y., and Detroit. Grain and other agricultural produce poured into the city by rail and water for processing and forwarding to other parts of the nation or to Europe. Detroit became one of the flour-milling centres of the country. It was the capital of Michigan state from its creation in 1837 until 1847, when the capital was moved to Lansing.
Following the American Civil War (1861-65) Detroit changed from its early role as a country merchant to that of industrial magnate. It became the automobile capital of the world with the help of the manufacturer Henry Ford, who introduced the assembly line in 1914. Detroit's industrial development accelerated during World War I, when it was an important producer of military armaments, and it attracted a large number of migrants, particularly blacks from the South. In 1943 fighting broke out between whites and blacks in the city. Other racial disturbances occurred in 1967 and caused extensive property damage.
The subsequent departure of many whites from the city and loss of jobs in the area's automotive industry brought economic hardship and social problems. Nonetheless, a municipal rebuilding program initiated after World War II was pursued and was especially effective at rejuvenating the city's riverfront.
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