The Dawn of Detroit: A Chronicle of Slavery and Freedom in the City of the Straits

Tiya Miles, a MacArthur fellow, examines slavery in Detroit, challenging the common assumption that slavery was primarily a Southern institution. Miles documents how slavery existed at the heart of this major northern city, involving both Native American and African American populations. Miles reconstructs the experiences of enslaved people in Detroit, a remote frontier outpost that was nonetheless central to national and international conflicts. By assembling historical fragments and introducing previously unknown figures, she reveals struggles that have remained largely hidden from historical record. The book reframes American slavery's geographic and social scope, showing how the institution shaped the Midwest and complicating narratives about Northern freedom and the Underground Railroad. Miles's research adds new complexity to understanding slavery's legacy in America and Detroit's historical development.