107TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. CON. RES. 80
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
Whereas Detroit is the 10th most populous city in the United
States and the most populous city in Michigan;
Whereas Detroit is the oldest major city in the Midwest, and
2001 is the 300th anniversary of Detroit’s founding;
Whereas Detroit began as a French community on the De-
troit River when Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac founded a
•HCON 80 EH
strategic garrison and fur trading post on the site in
1701;
Whereas Detroit was named Fort Pontchartrain de’ Etroit
(meaning ‘‘strait’’) at the time of its founding and be-
came known as Detroit because of its position along the
Detroit River;
Whereas the Detroit region served as a strategic staging area
during the French and Indian War, became a British
possession in 1760, and was transferred to the British by
the peace treaty of 1763;
Whereas the Ottawa Native American Chieftain Pontiac at-
tempted a historic but unsuccessful campaign to wrest
control of the garrison at Detroit from British hands in
1763;
Whereas in the nineteenth century, Detroit was a vocal center
of antislavery advocacy and, for more than 40,000 indi-
viduals seeking freedom in Canada, an important stop on
the Underground Railroad;
Whereas Detroit entrepreneurs, including Henry Ford, per-
fected the process of mass production and made auto-
mobiles affordable for people from all walks of life;
Whereas Detroit is the automotive capital of the Nation and
an international leader in automobile manufacturing and
trade;
Whereas the contributions of Detroit residents to civilian and
military production have astounded the Nation, contrib-
uted to United States victory in World War II, and re-
sulted in Detroit being called the Arsenal of Democracy;
Whereas residents of Detroit played a central role in the de-
velopment of the organized labor movement and contrib-
uted to protections for workers’ rights;
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Whereas Detroit is home to the United Auto Workers Union
and many other building and service trades and indus-
trial unions;
Whereas Detroit has a rich sports tradition and has produced
many sports legends, including Ty Cobb, Al Kaline,
Willie Horton, Hank Greenberg, Mickey Cochrane, and
Sparky Anderson of the Detroit Tigers; Dick ‘‘Night
Train’’ Lane, Joe Schmidt, Billy Sims, Dutch Clark, and
Barry Sanders of the Detroit Lions; Dave Bing, Bob La-
nier, Isaiah Thomas, and Joe Dumars of the Detroit Pis-
tons; Gordie Howe, Terry Sawchuk, Ted Lindsay, and
Steve Yzerman of the Detroit Red Wings; boxing greats
Joe Louis, Sugar Ray Robinson, and Thomas Hearns;
and Olympic speed skater Jeanne Omelenchuk;
Whereas Detroit’s cultural attractions include the Detroit In-
stitute of Arts, the Charles H. Wright Museum of Afri-
can-American History (the largest museum devoted ex-
clusively to African-American art and culture), the De-
troit Historical Museum, the Detroit Symphony, the
Michigan Opera Theater, the Detroit Science Center, and
the Dossin Great Lakes Museum;
Whereas several centers of educational excellence are located
in Detroit, including Wayne State University, the Univer-
sity of Detroit Mercy, Marygrove College, Sacred Heart
Seminary College, the Center for Creative Studies—Col-
lege of Art and Design, and the Lewis College of Busi-
ness (the only institution in Michigan designated as a
‘‘Historically Black College’’);
Whereas residents of Detroit played an integral role in devel-
oping the distinctly American sounds of jazz, rhythm and
blues, rock ’n roll, and techno; and
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Whereas Detroit was the home of Berry Gordy, who created
the musical genre that has been called the Motown
Sound, and many great musical artists, including Aretha
Franklin, Anita Baker, and the Winans family: Now,
therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate
concurring),
SECTION. 1. CONGRATULATING DETROIT AND ITS RESI-
DENTS.
The Congress, on the occasion of the tricentennial of
the founding of the city of Detroit, congratulates Detroit
and its residents for their important contributions to the
economic, social, and cultural development of the United
States.
SEC. 2. TRANSMITTAL.
The Clerk of the House of Representatives shall
transmit copies of this resolution to the Mayor of Detroit
and the City Council of Detroit.
Passed the House of Representatives May 22, 2001.
Attest:
Clerk.