Michilimackinac Island is known to most of the world as Mackinac Island, a popular tourist and vacation destination in northern Michigan. But long ago, before the island became famous for its horse-drawn carriages, fudge, and Grand Hotel, the island was important for its strategic location in the fur-trading business.
Fur trading in the early 1800s dominated the Northwest. Great Britain, France, and the new country of the United States of America all had holdings in the Great Lakes region. Michilimackinac was in a pivotal location and of great importance to the fur industry.
In their efforts to gain the upper hand in the profitable trade in beaver, fox, mink, otter, and other pelts, the nations fought for control over the tiny Mackinac Island and even built an army fort on the bluffs of the island for its protection.
By the time of the War of 1812, the Americans had been in control of the island for close to fifteen years. So it was with great disappointment and fear that the American captain in charge of Fort Michilimackinac lost the island at the beginning of the war after the British invaded and pointed their cannons at the fort.
As portrayed in Captured by Love, the American men who refused to sign the Oath of Allegiance to the invading British Army had to leave Mackinac. Those who remained had to swear allegiance to King George.
The British had a decided advantage over the Americans during the war because they had cultivated friendships with the area’s Indian tribes. The British plied the Indians with presents in order to win their loyalty. And so with the help of their Indian allies, the British regained control of the upper Great Lakes for the duration of the war.
Most of the events surrounding the War of 1812 on Mackinac Island happened the way I’ve portrayed them in Captured by Love. The British Army and the islanders faced starvation from blockades on several occasions. The Americans really did attempt to reclaim the island by invasion at one point and bungled the entire effort. I tried to retell the battle the way it occurred, along with an odd diversion in which the British left the battlefield supposing an attack was happening elsewhere on the island. When the war ended in December 1814, the people on the island didn’t receive the news until spring, when the first ships began to arrive.
While the main characters of this novel are fictional, I used the names of real war heroes, captains, and colonels, as well as the names of places that exist on the island today. The fort still sits today on the bluffs of the island, with the stone officers’ quarters, soldiers’ barracks, and storehouse. In fact, you can even peer down into the infamous Black Hole.
The voyaging and fur-trading era played an important role on Mackinac Island for many years. The term voyageur is associated with the men who paddled the canoes, the freight haulers of the fur trade. The canoes would leave from eastern ports loaded with trade goods, food, and other supplies. The hardy voyageurs would paddle the canoes out into the wilderness, where they would trade the goods to the Indians for the profitable pelts that were in high demand, especially back in England.
After the War of 1812, Jacob Astor took control of the Great Lakes fur trading with his post on Mackinac Island, and free traders like Pierre struggled to survive against the growing businesses of fur magnets like Astor’s American Fur Trading Company. Astor made his millions in the fur trade, though by the early 1820s the region had been harvested of most of the pelts, while the demand for beaver was on a steady decline. It wasn’t long before he pulled his company out of the area.
After the fur-trading era, it’s a wonder that life on Mackinac Island continued. Yet despite the harsh winters and isolation, the determined islanders continued to persist, turning instead to fishing for their survival. And then as steamboats came into use, the island became a tourist destination for the millionaires of the Midwest due to the scenery, interesting geology, and pleasant summer climate. It continues to be a favorite tourist destination to this day.
It’s my hope that through Captured by Love, you will come to appreciate the history behind this popular island. But more than that, I pray you will seek your refuge in the Solid Rock, the One who is there for us no matter where we go or what we experience. He is the constant presence and help amidst the shifting sands of our lives. May you look to Him to see you through your most difficult days.