Detroit has a very long and storied past, one of division, resilience, and perserverence through some of the toughest times imaginable. Founded in 1701 by French fur trader Antoine de La Mothe Cadillac, Detroit was iniatally a simple fur trading post that sat alongside the Detroit River. Due to its location, it quickly became a hub for traders from all over what we now know as the midwest as well as Canada. It was then given to the British in 1760 during the 7 Years war, and continued to grow and became an industrial metropolis thanks to Henry Ford, founder of Ford Motor Company and inventor of the moving assembly line which revolutionized production!
Detroit in the 20th centruy was at the forefront of many industries. For example, Motown, created by Bery Gordy Jr, introudced the world to the likes of Michale Jackson, Stevie Wonder, and Marvin Gaye and the aptly named "Motown" genre of music that many still love today. There are darker parts to Detroits history as well, such as the race riots of the '40s and '60s that led to the deaths of many people and created a painful scar that some still see today. There was also a large turn in economic favor in the '60s when a boom in housing pushed many people to Detroit's suburbs and reached an embarrasing boiling point when the city declared for Bankruptcy in 2013. However, Detroit has worked its way back from this painful history of racial divide and economic strife and is slowly building itself back to a city to live in and thrive.
