Antoine de Lamothe Cadillac

A Digital History

ADAM GYETVAI

HISTORY ON THE WEB

UNIVERSITY OF WINDSOR

APRIL 16, 2014

Objective- To spread the use of open-source public history projects in the realm of the Digital Humanities

- Multi-purpose distribution of humanistic/historical knowledge

- Open-source movement

- To combine elements of Spatial History and Public/Academic History

- To provide a historical biography/analysis of Antoine Cadillac for students, teachers, or anybody interested in seventeenth to eighteenth century Western history

Background*Antoine Laumet de La Mothe, sieur de Cadillac. Cadillac (1658-1730) was a French explorer, trader, and political liaison key to the development of New France in present-day Detroit-Michigan. Cadillac’s career, experiences, and political decisions are enigmatic to say the least

- Within 72 years of life, Cadillac became a: seigneur in Acadia, captain in the colonial regular troops, sub-lieutenant in the navy, commandant of Michilimackinac, founder of Detroit, governor of Louisiana, knight of the order of Saint-Louis, governor of Castelsarrasin in France. (Yves Zoltvany)

A Polarizing Figure- Historians have argued over the positive and negative impacts of Cadillac’s life and career as a political liaison between France and New France:

- Described by Agnes Laut as: among the “great early heroes in North American History”

- And conversely described by W.J Eccles as, “one of the worst scoundrels ever to set foot in New France”

-Either way, Cadillac’s career is significant to the founding of New France, and his ability to maneuver himself up the political pedigree in France was nothing but remarkable, given his somewhat dubious experiences

Early Life- Cadillac’s early life and career is still a topic of contention amongst historians

- However, what we do know is that Antoine (Antoine Laumet) Cadillac was born on March 5, 1658.

- Born in a small town of Saint-Nicolas-de-lla-Grave in the Tarn-et Garonne department of France.

- Son of Jean Laumet, a lawyer in France

- The Laumet family was brought up with a Jesuit religious background

- Cadillac was highly educated in his youth through his family and the Jesuit educational institutions

- However, this is where the biographical timeline gets hazy and even mysterious

Early Life- It is clear that Cadillac left for the New World (North America) but it is not clear when

- Cadillac filled an enlistment form to join the French military as a cadet however, primary source documents have nearly disproved these claims

- Historians argue that Cadillac may have been an early trader/merchant in New France

- Other historians argue that Cadillac was connected to the contra brand fur/alcohol trade with native peoples in the Great Lakes region

- Either way, the historical timeline gets more concrete when Cadillac embarks for New France (Acadia) in 1683

House where Cadillac was born: Saint-Nicolas-de-la-Grave in the Tarn-et Garonne department of

France, Midi-Pyrénées region (1658)

New France and Acadia- In 1683, Cadillac landed in the capital of Acadia, port royal, where he took service under Francois Guion, a privateer and explorer/trader

- This is a pivotal point in Cadillac’s life, where he gained extensive knowledge and experience in the Great Lakes wilderness region with Guion

- Additionally, Cadillac began to learn Native customs, languages, and trading practices

- Knowledge of the Acadian coast, Great Lakes regions, and native customs will prove to be valuable in his future career under the French Government

- Notably during New France/Acadia period, Cadillac met his wife Marie-Therese. Upon moving to Quebec as a seigneur, they married on June 25, 1687

Acadia, 1754 (Port Royal- East Coast)

Great Lakes Region 1700s

Les Douacques/Quebec- In 1688, Cadillac was given the concession of a seigniory (agricultural estate) of Les Douacques(present-day Maine) by Jacques Denonville

- The estate granted him land but no income. Cadillac pursued a trading alliance/partnership with officers in Acadia to gain some income

-Using his political expertise and knowledge of the Acadian/Great Lakes region, Cadillac sought out governor Louis de Baude de Frontenac in Quebec

- Frontenac sent him on an expeditionary mission along the New England coast with Jean Baptiste-Franquelin

- In recognition of the mission, Frontenac appointed Cadillac as commander of Michilimackinac, a station between Lake Huron and Lake Michigan.

Louis de Baude de Frontenac-Governor of New France: 1672-1682

& 1689-1698

Michilimackinac- Cadillac was appointed commander of all the stations of the Pay d’en-Haut (Upper Country). The station at Michilimackinac controlled the fur trading between the Great Lakes and the Ohio Valley at the time, including Missouri and Mississipi.

- Frontenac described his duties as: to keep all the western tribes in the French alliance, to make them live in harmony with each other, and to induce them to wage war relentlessly on the Five Nations (Yves Zoltvany)

- Cadillac was unable to prevent the Huron's and Iroquois from exchanging embassies for the purpose of concluding a peace treaty; he was unable to preserve harmony between the various western tribes, and overall, was unable to fully control the Michilimackinac trading region

- Although Cadillac failed as a commander at Michilimackinac, he succeeded as a fur trader between the French and the Natives in the Great Lakes/Ohio Valley region. Much of Cadillac’s wealth was obtained during this period of intense trading

Pays d’en Haut- Great Lakes Region

Fort Pontchartrain (Fort Detroit)- Cadillac wished to pursue his career as a fur-trader, given his previous experiences as a liaison and commander of Michilimackinac

- In 1698 Cadillac sailed to France to propose a new programme of Western development: the colonization of Detroit

- Cadillac proposed a lengthy argument to the French courts and government about the military, economic, cultural, and moral significance of a new French settlement in Detroit.

Arguments for Fort Detroit (Cadillac proposing the idea to France):

Military: it would prevent English expansion into the Great Lakes region

Economic: Control of the beaver/fur trade in the Great Lakes/Ohio region

Culturally: aid in facilitating the “Frenchification” of Western tribes/native peoples

Morally: civil and religious supervision of native peoples in the region

Fort Detroit- Cadillac’s arguments were impressive to the French government and on July 26, 1701, Cadillac founded Fort Pontchartrain

- Cadillac aimed to control the fur trade through this region and ease native tensions

- The fort had a small French settler population and served as a network between numerous native tribes

-Problems arose when competing native tribes crossed in the Fort Detroit region (see: Fox Wars)

- Additionally, in 1703 a fire nearly destroyed Fort Ponchartrain. Cadillac was recalled to Quebec to face charges of abuse of authority and illegal trade of furs

- To avoid an embarrassing situation with Cadillac in Fort Detroit, France simply moved Cadillac out of the Detroit region into a new French settlement region. France moved Cadillac out of his deteriorating position at Detroit to maintain their political power and authority over the region

Fort Detroit Plan/Map

Detroit Region 1700s

Detroit Under French Rule: Statistics

Louisiana/Castelsarrasin- Cadillac was appointed governor of Louisiana on May 5, 1710 by France

- Louisiana at the time, was one of the bleakest-looking colonies of the French Empire, and Cadillac was sent to aid in constructing a new economy for the region

- Cadillac landed in Louisiana in June 1713, where he began his new career as governor

- In 1715, Cadillac investigated future prospects of development for Louisiana. These developments included: copper mines in the Louisiana region, and connected trade relations with Mexico/Spain

- Following the economic development of Louisiana, Cadillac purchased the governship of a small town in France named Castelsarrasin. The Cadillac family moved to Castelsarrasin, where Cadillac continued to server as a liaison appointed by the French Government.

- Antoine de Lamothe Cadillac died on October 16, 1730 in Castelsarrasin at the age of 72

Significance and Conclusion- Upon examining the scholarly research, archival evidence, and biographies on Cadillac conclusions can be drawn on his direct significance to the development of the New France region

- Cadillac’s life was not a story of political growth and success, but was marked by fluctuating successes, failures, and questionable decisions

- Cadillac was able to reinvent himself multiple times throughout his life through political discourse and transformed from an immigrant in Acadia to the leader of key French settlements in the Great Lakes region

- Historians have extensively researched and argued over several aspects of his career and upon further examination, have uncovered some of his more dubious activities

- From this general historiographical biography, we can conclude that some famous figures in history are mysterious, enigmatic, and significant; with great career successes, and crushing failures that define themselves as a person in history

References (Images)1: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Antoine_Laumet_de_La_Mothe,_sieur_de_Cadillac.jpg

2: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Maison_natale_du_chevalier_de_Lamothe-Cadillac-1.JPG

3: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Acadia_1754.png

4: http://www.canadaka.net/modules/Maps/gallery/historical/1700/n085134k.jpg

5: http://www.florencetwp.org/Documents/FHPC/Historical%20Time%20Line%20P1-2.pdf

6: http://www.columbia.edu/itc/mealac/pritchett/00generallinks/prevost/americanorth/detroitfort.jpg

7: http://www.columbia.edu/itc/mealac/pritchett/00generallinks/prevost/americanorth/detroit.jpg

8: https://archive.org/stream/cadillacsvillage00burt#page/n87/mode/2up

References and suggested readings/supplemental research

*These readings will provide varying perspectives on Cadillac’s life, throughout different history time periods and types of historical academic publications

1. Yves F. Zoltvany, “Laumet, de Lamothe Cadillac, ANTOINE,” in Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. 2, University of Toronto/Université Laval, 2003–, accessed April 15, 2014, http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/laumet_antoine_2E.html.2. https://archive.org/details/cadillacsvillage00burt

3. C. M. Burton, Cadillac’s village (Detroit, 1896)

4. A sketch of the life of Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac, the founder of Detroit (Detroit, 1895)

5. Agnes Laut,Cadillac, knight errant of the wilderness . . . (Indianapolis, 1931)

6. Jesuit Jean Delanglez Publications/Articles:- Cadillac’s early years in America,” Mid-America, XXVI (1944), 3–39- “Antoine Laumet, alias Cadillac, commandant at Michilimackinac,” XXVII (1945), 108–32, 188–216, 232–56- “The genesis and building of Detroit,” XXX (1948), 75–104- “Cadillac at Detroit,” XXX (1948), 152–76- Cadillac, proprietor of Detroit,” XXXII (1950), 155–88, 226–58- “Cadillac’s last years,” XXXIII (1951), 3–42