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{{Short description|Person from Michigan}} {{Use mdy dates|date=June 2019}} {{Wiktionarypar|Michigander}} {{about|the demonym "Michigander" that refers to Michigan natives|the band of the same name|Michigander (band)|}} [[File:Demonyms of Michigan.svg|thumb|A map of the demonyms of Michigan.]] "'''Michigander'''" ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|m|ɪ|.|ʃ|ə|ˌ|g|æ|n|.|d|ɚ}} {{respell|mih|shə|GAN|der}}) and "'''Michiganian'''" ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|m|ɪ|.|ʃ|ə|ˌ|g|eɪ|.|n|i|ə|n}} {{respell|mih|shə|GAY|nee|ən}}) are unofficial<ref>{{cite web|date=March 10, 2008 |title=Michigan FAQ |url=http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-54463_54466_20829-54118--,00.html |author=Michigan Historical Center |publisher=Michigan Department of Natural Resources |work=Michigan Facts & History |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091217095323/http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0%2C1607%2C7-153-54463_54466_20829-54118--%2C00.html |archive-date=December 17, 2009 |url-status=dead }}</ref> [[demonym]]s for natives and residents of the U.S. state of [[Michigan]]. Less common alternatives include ''Michiganer'', ''Michiganite'', ''Michiganese'', ''Michigine'',<ref>{{cite journal |last= Marckwardt |first= Albert H. |title= Wolverine and Michigander |journal= Michigan Alumnus Quarterly Review |volume=58 |year= 1952 |pages= 203–208}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last= Sperber |first= Hans |title= Words and Phrases in American Politics: Michigander |journal= American Speech |volume= 29 |issue= 1 |date= February 1954 |pages= 21–27 |doi=10.2307/453592|jstor= 453592 }}</ref> and ''Michigoose'' (female).<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Mencken |first=H. L. |date=1947 |title=Names for Americans |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/486658 |journal=[[American Speech]] |volume=22 |issue=4 |pages=241–256 |doi=10.2307/486658 |jstor=486658 |issn=0003-1283 |quote=The chief objection to Michigander is that it inspires idiots to call a Michigan woman a Michigoose and a child a Michigosling, but the people of the State have got used to this|url-access=subscription }}</ref> == Difference in terminology == === ''Michigander'' vs. ''Michiganian'' === While governors [[James Blanchard|Jim Blanchard]], [[John Engler]], and [[Jennifer Granholm]] used ''Michiganian'', more recent governors [[Rick Snyder]]<ref>{{cite news |first= Aaron |last= Foley |date= November 3, 2010 |url= http://www.mlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2010/11/the_michigander_vs_michiganian.html |title= The 'Michigander vs. Michiganian' Debate Crops Up Again in Wake of Snyder's Election |work= MLive |publisher= [[Booth Newspapers]] |access-date= August 27, 2016}}</ref> and [[Gretchen Whitmer]]<ref>{{cite web |author = Office of Governor Gretchen Whitmer |year = 2019 |title = About the Governor |url = https://www.michigan.gov/whitmer/0,9309,7-387-90498_90646---,00.html |publisher = Office of Governor Gretchen Whitmer |access-date = June 3, 2019}}</ref> have used ''Michigander''. A 2011 poll indicated 58% of Michigan residents preferred ''Michigander'', compared to 12% for ''Michiganian'', with 12% having no preference, and 11% not liking either term.<ref>{{cite news |url= http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2011/02/11/Poll-Michiganders-embrace-the-label/UPI-73121297414800/ |title= Poll: 'Michiganders' Embrace the Label |publisher= [[United Press International]] |date= February 11, 2011 |access-date= August 27, 2016}}</ref> In 2017, as part of a unanimous bill to modernize the legislation establishing the Michigan Historical Commission, the state legislature changed a reference from ''Michiganian'' to ''Michigander'', implicitly endorsing the latter term.<ref>{{cite news |first = Kathleen |last = Gray |url = https://www.freep.com/story/news/2017/11/02/michigander-michiganian/824987001/ |title = Michiganders or Michiganians? Lawmakers Settle It |date = November 2, 2017 |work = Detroit Free Press |access-date = April 4, 2018}}</ref> The federal government continues to use ''Michiganian''.<ref>{{cite book |author = United States Government Publishing Office |author-link = United States Government Publishing Office |year = 2016 |title = Style Manual: An Official Guide to the Form and Style of Federal Government Publications |url = https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GPO-STYLEMANUAL-2016/pdf/GPO-STYLEMANUAL-2016.pdf |edition = 31st |location = Washington, DC |publisher = United States Government Publishing Office |page = 95 |isbn = 9780160936012 |oclc = 981985469 |access-date=June 3, 2019}}</ref> === ''Yooper'' === Residents of the [[Upper Peninsula of Michigan|Upper Peninsula]] typically refer to themselves instead as [[Upper Peninsula of Michigan|''Yoopers'']] (a formation derived from the initials ''U.P.'') either instead of or in addition to a state demonym.<ref>{{cite news |title = Da 'Yoopers' Added to Merriam-Webster Dictionary Celebrating Residents of Michigan's Upper Peninsula |url = http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/da-yoopers-merriam-webster-dictionary-article-1.1797804 |work = [[Daily News (New York)|Daily News]] |location = New York |agency = [[Associated Press]] |access-date = June 18, 2017 }}</ref> They sometimes refer to residents of the Lower Peninsula who live "below the [[Mackinac Bridge|bridge]]" between the peninsulas as ''[[Three Billy Goats Gruff|trolls]]'', but this term is rarely self-applied.<ref>{{cite news |first = Clare |last = Toeniskoetter |date = March 30, 2014 |url = http://michiganradio.org/post/vocabulary-yoopers-trolls-and-fudgies |title = The Vocabulary of Yoopers, Trolls and Fudgies |publisher = Michigan Radio |access-date = June 18, 2017 }}</ref> ==Origins== [[Image:Lewis Cass - Brady-Handy.jpg|thumb|upright=0.665|right|Lewis Cass]] ''Michiganian'' is the term used for the state's citizens in ''The Collections of the Michigan Pioneer and Historical Society'' since the 1870s. ''Michigander'' is considered [[pejorative]] by some due to the circumstances under which the term was popularized, but others perceive no such negative connotation. Even though the term was in use by at least 1820,<ref>{{cite book |title = Beadle's Dime Elocutionist |location = New York |publisher = Beadle & Adams |year = 1820 |access-date = April 2, 2021 |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=_OCEfy9qn_YC&q=michigander }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |work = Bangor Daily Whig and Courier |date = October 19, 1838 |quote = This is part of one [railroad] which the Michiganders are making across to St. Joseph's... |url = https://www.newspapers.com/clip/74985290/harbor-making/ |title = Harbor Making—St. Joseph's |page = 2 |via = Newspapers.com |access-date= April 2, 2021 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title = Joint Documents of the State of Michigan |volume = 2 |page = 48 |year = 1839 |quote = The spirit of willingness, interest, and energy displayed during this encampment was such as to make every Michigander proud of the First Brigade of State Troops }}</ref> it has nevertheless commonly been attributed to [[Abraham Lincoln]], who popularized it when he was a [[Whig Party (United States)|Whig]] representative in Congress. On July 27, 1848, Lincoln made a speech against [[Lewis Cass]], who had been a long-time [[List of Governors of Michigan|governor]] of the [[Michigan Territory]]. Cass was then running for president on a "[[popular sovereignty]]" platform that would have let states that were conquered in the [[Mexican–American War]] decide whether to legalize slavery. Lincoln accused the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrats]] of campaigning on the former President [[Andrew Jackson]]'s coattails by exaggerating their military accomplishments. <blockquote>But in my hurry I was very near closing on the subject of military tales before I was done with it. There is one entire article of the sort I have not discussed yet; I mean the military tale you Democrats are now engaged in dovetailing onto the great Michigander [i.e. Lewis Cass].<ref>{{cite news |work= Michigan Today News |url= http://www.umich.edu/news/MT/NewsE/091503/lincoln.html |title= Talking About Words |publisher= University of Michigan News Service |date= September 15, 2003 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110103232539/http://michigantoday.umich.edu/NewsE/091503/lincoln.html |archive-date= January 3, 2011}}</ref></blockquote> Despite that, Michigan voters would go on to favor Lincoln for President twice, in [[1860 United States presidential election in Michigan|1860]] and [[1864 United States presidential election in Michigan|1864]]. ==References== {{Reflist}} [[Category:People from Michigan|*]] [[Category:American regional nicknames]] [[Category:Demonyms]] [[Category:Michigan culture]]
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