Pathways to progress: The Great Lakes; Finders of the region

Through the facilities of this station and the National Association of educational broadcasters Michigan State College presents a pathway to progress. By means of a grant from the fund for adult education an independent organization established by the Ford Foundation radio station WKRN by recording brings you the Great Lakes pathways to progress. Hear this song. The Great Lakes region posts a dynamic

composed by the labors of millions of people working together in a component of all the diverse songs of business activity. The beauty of nature and the utilization of natural resources. Bring. Glorious past a promising future. At last the great pictures I'm with the. Song of the Great Lakes region. Pathways to progress. White man is on the land of the Great Lakes. Life flourished.

This is my home over here on the Iroquois the Ottawa Illinois the home of many and tribes and nations. This grazed forest road and this also was the home of the year in the belly. Button would bypass the beaver and the otter. A land rich in forests and Game and Fish. Rich in for. His. Wealth of the region virtually untapped for centuries would inevitably draw the attention of wealth seeking man. From another world to hold the over. And they came and shipped across the Atlantic Ocean and entered the new. Card Yeah sailed up the St. Lawrence River and the themes are you far and on returning to France he reported to King Francis the First your Majesty. Upon landing at Cape guess space I immediately took position of the line for Christ and for we then sailed up on the great river and visited many Indian villages. Me please your Majesty I took an

Indian meaning village and named Ally and Canada Canada. Indeed it is magnificent. Did you get them from the natives. Yes. We traded B knives hatchets in the kind of tweak it seemed to please them on my allegiance. There are firs in the land that will fill your Majesty's Treasury with gold. What of the lens beyond your expiration. Did you learn anything about them. Yes maybe just the Indian spoke of lines great distances to the waist and talked of great seas beyond. Perhaps they spoke of degree. You still see the ocean to China. You are a brave and noble man got a Frenchman will follow your footsteps and build a great new in Canada. Two generations after Carter the Intrepid Frenchman again sailed up the St. Lawrence and began the first explorations of the Great Lakes region.

Their names stand out boldly on the pages of history. Some claimed he was the founder of new friends and 16:3 and leader of the Company of New France created to control the fur trade and to send missionaries to the Indians in 16:8 Champlain established the colony of Quebec and managed to make friends with the Huron Indians and he explored some more of the Champlain and it is to be a great name throughout New France throughout there will most likely come now at the end the old name is far more exciting to the young Indian women. Yes that is me indeed but I live this way by choice. I love the forests and the rivers and I do not mind danger for young men like you as a real strength of New France.

That's why I send you out among the Indians. Your new ways of life is a language a customs which makes our work much easier. You can never be said now if I'd like you to spend as when among the Algonquins. If I know the nature of the country studies the tribes explore the mines or anything else of interest in the land. It became the most widely travelled man of new friends. As a matter of fact he roamed the Great Lakes vicinity for 20 years. The service agent for the fur traders kept the pellets flowing out of the woods down to the Trading Post. You probably discovered like you were. And once in the north of the region. This is one of the longest years I've ever climbed. By my beard. We had better see something good on the telly or the way to the top or through trees. The big water big watch Yeah

yeah. But then we hear it. Look over here it is what it is far as I can see another giant lake of new from the first Lake Superior. I am. The legends say from the region. At any rate the dangers of the wilderness were part of his everyday life. Once he was captured. From his parched lips.

His hand reached out for the metal just as he grasped it. Great summer storm here is something we are working on and we're going to quote terrifying believing that a white prisoner had caused the storm. They released him. As him stumbled out into the woods again to resume his life of hardship and danger and to continue his exploration on the hardened Frenchwoman was killed in 16 32 by his Huron friends and Brule had pioneered hundreds of trails away in the forests and lakes of New France and more names stand out in the pages of history. John Nicolay made one of the great odysseys of the new world John Glenn called me back and told him your trip is of the utmost importance.

So I was of the Winnebagos are warring with each other because the lambs to the west of here and it is seriously hurting as a fur trade is selling more times half empty is in Fort Hood when you're big. People need and there's a reason I'm sending you this it's a Winnebago find out what's in those a great salt sea near the sea. Perhaps a nose away there. First Saudi Faraj begun his voyage sailing in canoes and back to your own warriors. I knew there was

water routes as well as the trails and I was the canoe glide along he told father Brad before accompanied him on the first leg of the journey. Did you know that you know him best it was ahead of me together that you are a truly black and sincerely expecting something special and taken care not to disappoint them. Yeah you can do these back age so yeah. What I soon may be a deferred Dennis cribs for that Babe Ruth is that it is your fave magnifica quite sure if you rub Joe's robes to impress the Emperor of caste say he's busted but if I did that here and they move to steal these Indians after leaving father out and out lying here on mission paddled up

like way to this explore the island channels between the St. Mary's River and Lake Huron crossed the bay at Drummond Island and paddled into the straits and all you sailed west through the straits and what vast blue sea hither to unseen by white man Nicolay is tiny come new fleet had discovered Lake Michigan. Right Nicholas wrong song threading through the screen. Entering Green Bay. He continued. At the mouth of the Fox River he met the Winnebago and I heard the Indians tell of a great water Father West. Finally stopped from a shelf of land between the fox and the Wisconsin rivers that's a rise of land barely a mile wide that divides the Mississippi Valley and the Great Lakes St. Lawrence basin turning back full it took three days for the journey would have brought him to the

shore of the fabled Eastern Sea where he would have been disappointed. Instead of the ocean to China I would have stood on the bank. But as the fathers opened the doors of this great region and if the fur traders posts were the beachheads of Commerce and the new world then the missions were the outposts of Christianity. The history of martyrdom was enriched here by these men of God who gave their lives so completely selfish later their brother mankind brother Gabrielsson God was one of the first to go out among the Indians with his mission to the Hurons and 16 23 and only two years later the Jesuit missionaries arrived in New France. The Jesuits father's father and father Mark kept

calling who sought nothing more than the ways of service to God and mankind. Their mission settlements and the tribulations of the wilderness the onslaught of Indians on the attacks of France's enemies and gradually spread all through the region a sprinkling of civilization of which some men faced the pain of death at the stake. But France was not alone in this new world her great crescent of territory running up the St. Lawrence through Quebec and Montreal to the chain of the Great Lakes and then down the Mississippi Valley to the Gulf was matched in its concave notch by territory taken occupied and held by the British. The Englishman's new world extended from the Atlantic seaboard west to the Allegheny Mountains north to the St. Lawrence and the English and French had come to the new world for different reasons.

The French came after Fergus the English to colonize Frenchman traveled the wilderness trails primarily to maintain and increase the traffic and cars until the turn of the eighteenth century there was not a white woman in all of New France. On the other hand the English had arrived not only with lock stock and barrel but also with wife family and farm tools. The English came to stay and always regarded the French as intruders in the New World. Early preoccupation with their own problems kept the French and the British out of conflict. But the widening new world exploration expansion and exploitation would inevitably bring the traditional rivals of Europe face to face and the result would be war. In 1727 the British are openly seeking access to the lower lakes fortified Oswego on Lake Ontario. French strategy countered with one fort at Kingston on the base of Lake Ontario. Another of my can are at the top of Lake Huron. The French considered B is the bases of a formidable pincers movement to neutralize the British silly ended as we

go. Obviously the French were thinking as much of the precious fur trade as a military advantage. But one result of the French defensive moves was the first American city on the Great Lakes. The founders name Cadillac the city Detroit good fathers it is true of the car they try to knock me out to command the fort of Michigan Mike and all. But I tell you that the straights are not the key to control of this region. Cadillac if the Fates are not the crucial location what is clearly the critical point as the Detroit River commands the entrance to the northern lakes and the entrance to the southern lakes. You can hold the land a bit trite will command all the region but there seems no need for another post at this time. A garrison of troops perhaps but another trading post will only mean another center. Then he is the right guy to act for the gathering place for Brandy a drinking buddy rather a Christian duty is to forestall any such folly about our duty

to the king is to establish a Freddo strength against the English invaders either military or American young Cadillac outmaneuvered the opposition of the Jesuits by going directly to punch a train the French colonial minister in Paris on to try and granted Cadillac's wishes and he went to Detroit in June 17 one following that long canoe route over 700 miles of rapids falls on for ages. There are Detroit Cadillacs fifty soldiers and fifty settlers established a port that would one day become the arsenal of democracy. How do like that for his noble wife and his assistants wife to Tante. But Detroit seemed to improve instantly on their arrival. The rough quarters soon became households. The populace in time was served by priests and nuns. Children had schools and the fields were green with good crop yields by the time Cadillac was transferred to Louisiana in 17 town Detroit was more than a fort

it was a city strong and prosperous and growing. It was Western civilization's first stronghold in the Great Lakes. The two peoples of the new world clashed their cannon echoed the American phase of the Seven Years War. 1756. The British Ontario fleet out of Oswego met the French on June 27 the French guns outraged when the English retreated. Non-coms forces from Fort Frontenac landed at us we go August 14th 1756 again outgunned the British had to surrender their Ontario naval base on fort and New France had won the first battles. Bring back the first victory was the conquest of Broad Street in

August. Then with blank and general Prideaux and Sir William Johnson to Niagara which fell July 25th 1759 English had turned the tide. They pressed their advantage at Quebec French gateway to the lakes and the battle there claimed the lives of both commanders. But English general died died in defeat. The fall of Quebec September 13th 1759 an event of historical significance was followed by Systematic English victories over the remaining French ports. But the wilderness was still wild and Indian hostilities continue in Pontiac and allied tribes laid siege to Fort Detroit and 1763 Major Henry Godwin led the valiant and determined defense. His determination to British boats and the Great Lakes waterways saved Detroit the schooner's Michigan and Huron had been anchored in the harbor when Pontiac launched his attack. After

five months Pontiacs forces were demoralized and there were whispers of reinforcements coming up with general Bradstreet supplies were gone and so he gave up the siege and resistance as the red men transferred their allegiance to the English. The Great Lakes were under complete control of Great Britain but telling us the news about the proclamation. What I mean. I was just talking to Mr I was out of town and he told me all about it. But what do I do unions on the rampage again. Worse than that the colonial government has ordered all colonists to stay out of the northwest. It makes me mad. The English policy of keeping the colonists out of the newly won Great Lakes region was one of the causes of the Revolutionary War. The Americans won their independence but the peace conference in Paris in 1782 found the British still holding the forts on the southern shores of the lakes. But yet another chapter of war

in the region had to be written. It was declared June 18th 1812 and the British and Americans faced each other in battle again. The English quickly took back to the Great Lakes ports they had recently vacated the young American nation was just as quickly faced with the possibility of losing the entire region and the Mississippi Valley as well perhaps even the freedom that had become so dear here with a fabulous inland seas of the North American continent. The doorway to the unlocked by the rapids in the great Niagara waterfalls of the English could boast overwhelming naval strength in the Atlantic on America's seaboard. But Nature herself had rigged the odds on the Big Lakes where naval power must be a separate and independent operation. The inherent American strength on the Lakes was proved conclusively by Oliver Hazard Perry his victory on Lake Erie. The great American Commodore built his fleet from ground up launching out of Erie Pennsylvania enough Briggs schooners on the gunboats to match the British Navy built from American timber armed with

cannon shells from American iron and manned by dauntless American sailors. Perry's ships met the entire British force on Lake Erie September 10th 1813 and one plead victory. And by gentlemen's agreement the great permanent war and battle in the Lakes Region faded into the pages of history. Greatness in the ways of peace emerged in the national life. Two countries today the neighbors on the lakes lived and worked in harmony using the past ways together in a common pursuit of a better life and common dedication to the cause of freedom. The rich wealth of the New World was for a new trading post grew

up west of the St. Lawrence Green Bay found the loch and the amazing sons of New France thrived on the wilderness way of life becoming trappers and hunters themselves as early as 69 80 some 800 men from a total population of ten thousand had slipped into the back country of New France. OK that they would have been found somewhere along the housings of miles of street lights. Were they in turn were finding Rich year olds of Koran about their exploits gave rise to a brawny colorful tradition of their distinctive costumes their fabled insurance. The only boy there and most precious. Thank you early pilgrimage to the post for the fur trade and the Hardy lives of all of us do so and that's a sign that while they were exploring and

open and right originally in their question back then that was from 1780 1790. The average annual ferret read was worth a million dollars. It was practically a Canadian monopoly until the treaty of 1796 that seeded Detroit on Mackinaw to America. That meant one thing to American for a mogul John Jacob Astor he vowed to make his fortune in the fur trade and he did of course by 1817 Astor was buying all of his competitors taking control of the industry trapping grounds in the trading posts. As for supremacy and burr on the American side of the border was unquestioned. His men with their brilliant plumed hats covered the entire region continuing the traditions of the traitors before them who had explored the region and blazed the trails new land was dotted with little settlements clustering around the trading post new stories in the Tales of the land came back east where other men hungered for land.

The United States faced problems of administering the lands of the north west from the closing day of the Revolutionary War and there were many schools of thought there were those who held that the gov. The treasure of acres. So favored liberal land policies and those who already had arrived and selected their homes duds in the new territory. And incidentally refused to move for any reason whatsoever. Congress passed the first ordinance on the Northwest Territory and 1784 providing that it would forever remain a part of the United States and that it would be divided into sovereign states and townships six miles square. This was followed by the Ordinance of 1787. Companies quickly formed to occupy and develop these Western lands the first. The Ohio company formed in Boston by Rufus Cutler and Samuel H Parsons veterans of the revolution. They bought two and a half

million acres at a price of seventy five cents an acre. By 1788 the first settlers had moved into the Ohio territory and founded the first agricultural supplement in the northwest the town of Marietta. When settlers came came the story of our claims were not transferred. Trading posts there were homes to some homes. The spirit of the front drew together to define what they considered their hard earned rights. I tell you boys the only way we can hang on to our fighting farms or fight for will fight for any time we have to jet. What I'm talking about now is how to hang on and not have to chase some claim jumper our every week or so. Well what can we do. They got this thing all figured out down the government. Drive me to every mile of land in the whole territory. Now they sell it off at auctions whether there's any wood on it or not. I'll tell you what we can do we'll we'll get together with Sidney Porter and Bob children and your brother Jack and the others and we'll form ourselves into a company will draw a paper showing everything every man's claim and go to the auctions together to see that he keeps it.

We show you why we come into this wilderness years ago cleared the land fought off the Redskins played at the ground and there ain't no doggone land buy and scheme are going to take it away just because the government changed the rules on us. Finally in 1841 the Congress passed the preemption law. It gave permission for heads of families men over 21 or widows to settle on 160 acres of public land even though the land was one surveyed and guaranteed them the right to purchase their land at a minimum price. When it finally was placed on sale the preemption act opened the door. Settlement of the new lands was assured they came from every corner of the Eastern States and from the war torn countries of Europe. They came after the real end of basic treasure of the Western territory. The land land to live on land to the Hill and to make prosperous land for a man's home and his family land where life could be free of the old ways the old fetters the old fears from dear lands a matter of chance to start a new will. So all the people came West and the nation grew up

big colorful pages of American history Chronicle one of mankind's greatest adventures of all time. From the earliest colonization of the New World by the explorers of the old days of restless man looked west into the continental interior. Their footsteps followed in that direction seeking the ancient China Sea seeking fortunes in that direction seeking the riches of the fur trade seeking land on homesteads and some seeking only to serve God through ministering his word to the savage native tribes. Men came bravely recklessly first in twos and threes or even singly. Then several dozens hundred. Dream the seeds of hope they planted the end and here they grew the richest harvest on the fur traders the trappers the Holy Fathers the homesteaders. They found the pathway to progress. The listener will hear it.

Song of life stirring and inspiring. And every note every voice and when I. Write. This returns. The. Right. Way. You have just heard pathways to progress a series of programmes devoted to the Great Lakes and the people who have made this region such an outstanding area. Pathways to progress is written by Alec wire directed by Dave

original music was composed and directed by Knorr main Kemel Tom waver is heard as the voice of the Great Lakes. This program was recorded in the studios of W.K. are on the Michigan State College campus and is presented by means of a grant from the fund for adult education an independent organization established by the Ford Foundation. This is the Radio Network.