On View
Not on viewObject number1989/90.54.11
An Animal's Tale of Michigan: Lewis Cass
Artist
Todd Zimmerman
(American, 1963 - 2022)
Date1987
Mediumwatercolor and ink on paper
Dimensionsimage: 9 in. × 5 1/2 in. (22.9 × 14 cm)
sheet: 11 7/8 × 8 7/8 in. (30.2 × 22.5 cm)
mat: 16 × 20 in. (40.6 × 50.8 cm)
sheet: 11 7/8 × 8 7/8 in. (30.2 × 22.5 cm)
mat: 16 × 20 in. (40.6 × 50.8 cm)
Credit LinePermanent Collection Fund for the Artreach Study Collection
Label TextLongtime Kalamazoo resident Todd Zimmerman created An Animal’s Tale of Michigan for the KIA’s outreach program in 1994. He envisioned the project as an entertaining introduction to Michigan history for children. The series’ 36 panels highlight the state’s historic industries (from fur trading to car manufacturing), famous figures (including Tecumseh and Henry Schoolcraft), landmark structures (such as the Soo Locks and Lake Michigan lighthouses), and cultural contributions (like fine art and Motown music).
This panel focuses on Lewis Cass, who was the territorial governor of Michigan from 1813-1831. During this lengthy tenure, he helped explore and map the region, negotiated agreements with Native groups (including the Lenape, Odawa, Ojibwe, Potawatomi, Seneca, Shawnee, and Wyandot), and guided the territory towards statehood, which it achieved in 1837. Cass became a U.S. Senator from the new state and later served as a cabinet member, ambassador, and Democratic Party Presidential nominee. Today Cass’ legacy is mixed because of his advocacy for a state-by-state solution to the nation’s political conflict over the legality of slavery and his role in implementing policies that forcibly displaced Indigenous groups.
