Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
History
French explorer Antoine de La Mothe Cadillac founded Detroit in 1701. Sweet fortune
arrived in the 1920s, when Henry Ford began churning out cars. He didn't invent the
automobile, as so many mistakenly believe, but he did perfect assembly-line manufactur-
ing and mass-production techniques. The result was the Model T, the first car the USA's
middle class could afford to own.
Detroit quickly became the motor capital of the world. General Motors (GM), Chrysler
and Ford were all headquartered in or near Detroit (and still are). The 1950s were the
city's heyday, when the population exceeded two million and Motown music hit the air-
waves. But racial tensions in 1967 and Japanese car competitors in the 1970s shook the
city and its industry. Detroit entered an era of deep decline, losing about two-thirds of its
population.
In July 2013 Detroit filed the largest municipal bankruptcy claim in US history: $18
billion. Stay tuned to see how it plays out.
Sights & Activities
Sights are commonly closed on Monday and Tuesday. And that's Canada across the
Detroit River (Windsor, Canada, to be exact).
Midtown & Cultural Center
Detroit Institute of Arts
MUSEUM
MAP
GOOGLE MAP