On this day in 1848, Abraham Lincoln coined the term "Michigander" to describe Lewis Cass, sparking a lasting debate over the correct term for Michigan residents.
TRANSCRIPT
On this day in 1848, Abraham Lincoln left Michigan one lasting legacy that remains the subject of some controversy. It concerns the correct term for a Michigan resident. Lincoln is attributed with the first known use of “Michigander.” In 1848, he used the word to describe former Michigan territorial governor Lewis Cass. That year, Cass was the Democratic Presidential candidate, and Lincoln was in the rival Whig Party. Lincoln accused the Democrats of “dovetailing onto the great Michigander” and then “tying him to a military tail.” Robert C. White, in his biography of Lincoln, explains this bit of clever wordplay: The Democrats were running Cass as a military hero, touting their candidates’ War of 1812 exploits. Lincoln was essentially calling Cass a silly goose and accusing the Democrats of trying to Goose his military tail by inflating Cass’ military record