Detroit History Timeline
from 1760 to 1796
1760 | 09-08-1760 The British capture Montreal. The Articles of Capitulation stipulate that all remaining French posts are to be handed over to the British. |
1760 | 11-29-1760 Major Robert Rogers takes command of Fort Ponchartrain (now called Fort Detroit) for the British. |
1760 | 12-23-1760 Major Rogers leaves Detroit for Fort Pitt. Captain Donald Campbell becomes commandant. |
1761 | (January) Hamback and Van der Velder arrive in Detroit with supplies and plans to establish a trade business. |
1762 | (July) Major Henry Gladwin becomes commandant of Fort Detroit. (Woodford says September 3, 1761) |
1763 | October - A peace treaty is signe between the British and the French. France no longer supports Pontiac and his forces against the British. |
1763 | 02-10-1763 A peace treaty is signed ending the war between France and England. New France is handed over to the British. |
1763 | 05-08-1763 Pontiacs siege on Detroit begins. |
1763 | 05-28-1763 Lieutenant Abraham Cuyler of the Queen's Rangers and his troops are attacked by a faction of Pontiac's army on their way to take supplies to Fort Detroit. |
1763 | 05-30-1763 Pontiac and his men kill captives from Cuyler's group and send their bodies down the Detroit River on logs. |
1763 | 07-29-1763 Major Rogers and Captain Dalzell (or Dalyell) bring supplies to Detroit to help sustain the settlement during Pontiac's attack. |
1763 | 07-30-1763 Captain Dalzell and Major Rogers lead 250 soldiers and rangers on an attack against Pontiac's camp. The result is a bloody battle of which only 90 of the British sruvive. The incident becomes known as the Battle of Bloody Run. |
1763 | 10-31-1763 Pontiac sends a message to Major Gladwin asking for peace. Gladwin forwards the request to General Amherst and shortly after Pontiac returns to his home on the Maumee River. |
1764 | Colonel John Bradstreet becomes the fourth official British commandant of Fort Detroit. |
1764 | 09-14-1764 Bradstreet leaves Detroit. Major Robert Bayard becomes the unofficial commandant. |
1765 | Detroit gets its first standard currency: New York Currency. |
1766 | (Fall) Campbell leaves Detroit. Captain George Turnbull replaces him as commandant of Fort Detroit. |
1766 | a) Lieutenant-Colonel John Campbell becomes commandant of Fort Detroit. |
1766 | b) Captain George Turnbull becomes commandant of Fort Detroit. |
1766 | 07-23-1766 Pontiac signs a peace treaty with the British. |
1766 | 08-07-1766 Citizen's of Detroit write a letter to John Campbell, protesting his plans for tax increases. |
1767 | 04-24-1767 Turnbull appoints Philippe Dejean the equivalent of notary, chief justice, and sheriff. |
1768 | 05-04-1768 King George III gives Lieutenant George McDougall permission to, with the permission of the Native Americans there, occupy Hog Island (Belle Isle). |
1768 | 05-21-1768 A report is completed detailing the results of an investigation into the conduct of Philippe Dejean |
1768 | 06-14-1768 Misconduct investigation is determined inconclusive and Dejean returns to his job as notary of Detroit. |
1769 | Captain Turnbull retires from his post as commandant of Detroit. Thomas Bruce likely replaces him, but holds the post only from June to September of 1770. |
1769 | 05-18-1769 A citizen committee writes to Captain Turnbull requesting that their rights to Belle Isle be recognized. They are refused. |
1769 | 05-24-1769 The citizen committee writes to General Gage and Governor Carleton requesting that their rights to Belle Isle be recognized. They are refused. |
1769 | 06-05-1769 Ojibwa and Ottawa tribes sell Hog Island (Belle Isle) to George McDougall for a total of 8 barrels of rum, 3 rolls of tobacco, 6 pounds of vermillion, and a wampum belt. |
1769 | 10-31-1769 A meeting is held in Detroit in which the citizen committee has a chance to voice their opinions regarding the sale of Belle Isle and their loss of rights to the island. The meeting has no effect on the decision to cancel rights to the island. |
1770 | (September) Captain James Stephenson becomes commandant of Fort Detroit. He holds the post until January 8, 1772. |
1771 | (Spring) George McDougall takes full possession of Belle Isle. |
1772 | (Autumn) Major Henry Bassett replaces Captain Etherington as commandant of Fort Detroit. |
1772 | 01-08-1772 Captain George Etherington replaces James Stephenson as commandant of Fort Detroit. |
1774 | Major Bassett retires from the post of commandant at Fort Detroit; Captain Richard Beringer Lernoult takes his place. |
1774 | 04-21-1774 Major Bassett hires James Sterling to survey and report on the land in and around Detroit. |
1774 | 06-22-1774 The Quebec Act is passed by British Parliament, placing all settlements in the west under English law for criminal matters and old French provincial law for civil matters. |
1775 | (April) Detroit is annexed to Quebec. |
1775 | (April) The Revolutionary War begins with the Battle of Lexington. |
1775 | (June) Governo-general (Canada) Guy Carleton declares martial law in the area around the upper Great Lakes. |
1778 | (October?) Thomas Williams succeeds Philip Dejan as justice of the peace at Fort Detroit. He was officially commissioned by authorities in Quebec in 1779. |
1778 | 05-12-1778 Paul Joseph le Moine dies in Tours. |
1779 | 08-28-1779 Captain Lernoult is promote to major. |
1779 | 08-29-1779 Major Lernoult is ordered to Niagara. Colonel Arent Schuyler de Peyster becomes commandant. |
1784 | (Spring) Colonel de Peyster leaves Detroit. Major William Ancrum replaces him as military commandant. |
1784 | 07-12-1784 Jehu Hay arrived in Detroit as the post's last lieutenant-governor. |
1784 | 09-22-1784 Captain Thomas Bennett writes Colonel de Peyster seeking his helping in securing an appointment as commandant of Fort Detroit. |
1785 | 08-02-1785 Jehu Hay dies in Detroit. |
1786 | Captain Thomas Bennett becomes commandant of Fort Detroit. |
1787 | Captain Robert Matthews becomes commandant of Fort Detroit. |
1788 | (Date not firm) Major Patrick Murray became commandant of Fort Detroit. |
1790 | Major John Smith becomes commandant of Fort Detroit. |
1792 | (a) William Claus briefly serves as commandant at Fort Detroit. |
1792 | (summer) Captan Richard England becomes commandant of Fort Detroit. He is the last commandant under British rule. |
1796 | 07-11-1796 American forces take over command of Detroit. |