Throughout Michigan's history those who migrated to the state have been drawn by—or themselves have introduced—fishing, trapping, mining, lumbering, farming, and automobile manufacturing. The lore of such occupations, combined with the rich ethnic heritage of those who built Michigan, form the essence of the state's traditional culture.

The French explorers, missionaries, and fur traders who traversed the Great Lakes beginning in the 17th century were the first Europeans to view the vast expanses of water and virgin forest that became the state of Michigan in 1837.