By John Lindstrom
Publisher
Posted: February 12, 2013 3:25 PM

February 12 is Abraham Lincoln’s birthday of course, but it also marks the one day at least a portion of Michigan fell under Spanish conquest.

It’s a bit of history that, except for the fact it was an actual military event with blood, gore, prisoners taken, property looted, almost reads like a Monty Python bit.

During the American Revolution, various British outposts were attacked by forces loyal to other nations as well native American Indian tribes.

The British held a fort at St. Joseph, near today’s city of Niles. The Spanish held a fort at St. Louis, today the home of the Cardinals, the Rams, Budweiser and that big arch.

French and Indian leaders prevailed upon the Spanish Governor Francisco Cruzat that the British fort represented a threat to him, and he worried as well that the British might attack the city. So in January 1781, a force of about 120 Spanish and Indian warriors set off for the Michigan territory.

On February 12, 1781, they attacked Fort St. Joseph, catching its defenders by surprise and easily seizing the fort. They made prisoners of the occupants, looted the fort, raised the Spanish flag and declared the entire area now belonged to Spain.

And then in true conquering hero fashion, the next day they all left and headed back to St. Louis. That is kind of the Monty Python element of it. And then, darn, wouldn’t you know, at the Treaty of Paris, the Spanish claim to Michigan and everything else was rejected, out of hand, summarily and all that.

This bit of history was memorialized with the state’s Bicentennial license plate issued in 1976 that showed four stars for the four flags that flew over Michigan: French, British, U.S. and, yes for one day, Spanish.

Knowing this, one can be entirely justified in drinking Sherry Tuesday night while watching the State of the Union…or the game. Whaddya mean what game?