January 26, 1837
Michigan became the 26th state.
Without ceremony, President Andrew Jackson signed an act of Congress admitting Michigan into the Union. The president’s action ended a long struggle to make the Michigan Territory a state. Michigan’s effort to enter the Union began in 1835. During the two-year struggle, Michigan’s borders changed considerably when it was forced to give up Toledo at the mouth of the Maumee River in exchange for the western part of the Upper Peninsula. It was a controversial decision at the time, but the rich natural resources in the western Upper Peninsula left Michigan the victor of what was known at the time as the Toledo War.
Thank you Michigan Start Pages for this glimpse into our past. See more here.