Michigan OC

State of Michigan OC
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Representation: Michigan, United States
Capital: Lansing
Government: Federal Republic
Currency: U.S. Dollars (thought Canadian currency is accepted in the northern parts of the state)
Language: English and French (in some places near the Canadian border)
Religion: Christianity
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Full Human Name: Lauren Mary Foster - Benjamin Timothy Foster (male gender-bent name)
Nicknames: Laurie is a common nickname that people call her, Laurence as France still calls her, Robin by some of the surrounding states as a little tease at her state bird, and out of pure japery, Ohio mockingly calls her Laurent.
Actual Age: 178
Age: 19
Date of Birth: January 26th, 1837
Gender: Female

Physical Appearance: Lauren roughly stands at 5'1" and weighs about 125 lbs. With a small frame, she is often teased for being so short by some of her fellow states, but she usually brushes it off in the long run after fretting over her appearance for a while. She has a voluminous cinnamon, gingerbread brown hair color which shorter and somewhat shaggy on the right side, sweeping to the left where her hair is more long and wavy, going down to her shoulder. Lauren has the most vibrant cerulean eye color, as if reflections into her own lakes topped with thick eyelashes. She also has a fair, peachy skin tone with rosy cheeks and a dusting of freckles on her cheeks as well. Michigan is very prone to blushing easily, and she is known for her face becoming very red when she laughs or feels nervous. As far as attire goes, she is all about the more pastel, sweeter colors. Lauren enjoys wearing: converse, boots, her Michigan University jacket, jeans (whether they be skinny jeans, jean shorts, cargo jeans, or capris), flannels, flappers from the roaring 20s, a variety of sweaters, fashionable trench coats, and Bohemian chic types of clothing. If some sort of military event calls, she'll be wearing the standard American issued uniform, or if some more important, reformed event is on her schedule, she'll be wearing some sort of nice white, lacey dress and some simplistic, down-to-earth jewelry as well.

Personality: Although Lauren is considered very emotional, that doesn't mean she does not possess a tough shell. However, underneath this shell she has built up, she is indeed extremely soft and sensitive, and that’s why harsh words from others can deeply hurt her. One thing about Lauren is that she is apt to sink into fits of extreme sadness quite frequently. She tends to seek solace in her family members and close friends, but soon is doomed to realize that they can at best provide only temporary happiness. Michigan happens to find the higher, permanent happiness quite elusive, as well as love. Not to mention, she's also prone to mood swings, and can lose her cool over things that seem insignificant to others. Lauren also has a habit of latching on to things from her past (take France for example), and finds it very difficult to let go, which in turn hampers her progress towards her defined goals. There may be a bit of a contradiction here, but she can be shrewd and selfless at the same time. On a lighter note, she does happen to have a keen sense of humor, and with the things she says, you can expect her to send her friends into fits of laughter. She is definitely a humble family person, and her own nest is the most important thing in the world for her. More about her traits, she is creative: Lauren can come up with brilliant and innovative ideas using her imaginative powers. However, in the process she can end up with ideas that may not be too practical, or may be too over-ambitious. Along with being creative, she is spontaneous with the power to think and act spontaneously, It is a major guiding force for Michigan, and more than reasoning, she relies on her intuition for taking decisions. Then there's one of her most well known traits which is her faithfulness and her loyalty. Sensitive as she is, she's faithful and generous towards others, and they hardly expect anything in return for her generosity and faithfulness. This girl deeply admires and respects people who are near to her. Even those who are far away get to experience the loving side of her very often, even if they had been rather mean to her in the past. One thing she strongly believes in is second chances, or maybe even more than two. Michigan is also quite emotional, but at times she might appear icy and separated. Lauren greatly sympathizes with other people and loves to take care of those in need no matter the cost, and aside from being the loving person she is, she is also very protective. She truly is greatly protective of her personal area, interests, belongings, relationships and loved ones-- especially her loved ones. Ah, but I digress, for she has some rather negative traits as well, as she can be extremely temperamental and her mood swings are just as unpredictable as her weather, which may become overwhelming for the people around her. Lauren can easily get bogged down by setbacks and failures, and it is observed that she is prone to pessimism. But one of her strongest negative traits is her clingy nature, one of her characteristics: She finds it difficult to let go of things close to her heart, and hence, she finds it difficult to look beyond the imperfections and move on. Furthermore, she's always inclined to carry imaginary hurts and setbacks along with them. This is because of her overemotional nature, which can create highly unsettling conditions for her. And on the topic of unsettling conditions, this certain individual is also prone to doubt people’s intentions as she carries an imaginary fear, hence why she usually ends up cross-checking everything. And lastly, Lauren constantly keeps on having a bad self image for herself and she's considered to judge herself more harshly than others. This underlying negative energy is a specific habit which may distance people from her or create heavy concern, especially for her near and dear ones.

Likes/Dislikes: Lauren enjoys playing baseball, hanging out on the beach with a nice ice cream cone on a sunny day, window shopping in antique stores, riding horses, hunting, fireworks, playing guitar, bike riding, the winter/snow/cold weather in general, knitting, boating on the lakes, various types of painting, bird watching, cooking or baking especially, and she has an uncanny knack for gardening or dealing with plants in general. She prefers quaint towns over large cities, so you could say she loves tight-knit communities, and Michigan loves to be outside constantly to enjoy the weather or otherwise. Furthermore, she also loves to work with mechanics or cars, astronomy or star gazing as she is surprisingly a professional in this field, and keeping herself out of violence (ACCEPT when it comes to Ohio).
	However what she doesn't enjoy is the act of peer pressure, OHIO, Ohio St. winning a game, bad hunting seasons, being unable to be confident in herself, getting snowed in and then having to shovel her way out of her house, and knowing that not many people understand when they ask her where things are in Michigan and she shows them on her hand.

Phobias:
Achluophobia- Fear of darkness.
Autophobia- Fear of being alone or of oneself.
Bolshephobia- Abnormal fear of Bolsheviks.
Catagelophobia- Fear of being ridiculed.
Cleisiophobia- Fear of being locked in an enclosed place.
Enissophobia- Fear of having committed an unpardonable sin or of criticism.
Iatrophobia- Fear of going to the doctor.
Mastigophobia- Fear of punishment.
Merinthophobia- Fear of being bound or tied up.

Relations:
-Ohio: In the simplest of terms, the bad vibes between the two are both strong and noticeable. Ever since the quarrel over the Toledo Strip, which mind you, almost became a full blown war, Ohio and Michigan have been hating each other since then. Even before the two came to fight over the Toledo Strip, their personalities didn't exactly clash very well either, and he had already been a bit of a personal bully for her. Nowadays, she often tries to avoid him, but somehow he always finds a way to bump into her which often turns into a heated argument which usually brings Lauren to tears most times after she runs out of things to say. But there are no tears when it comes to game matches between the two states. Whether it be basketball, hockey, baseball, football or otherwise, she puts her game face on and hopes she comes out on top.

-Wisconsin: They have a friendly, quirky relationship, mostly one of teasing each other and enjoying the other's company. Wisconsin calls Lauren a 'gander' and in return, Michigan calls Wisconsin a 'cheesehead'. It doesn't get anymore intense or teasing than that as they remain to be amiable with each other and are quick to go to the other's defense.

-New York: These two just happen to get along for little reasons besides being fellow border states. Whether it was just some click during the World Wars as they dominated the industry with their manufacturing or otherwise, the two are like peas in a pod. Not much can be said about these two as they just happen to enjoy each other's company emensly, and Michigan isn't sure what she'd do without him as he is her one and only best friend, though she wouldn't admit to that.

-Ontario: Having been lumped together with Ontario for the longest time, it gave them quite an ample amount of years to get close to each other. Ontario took on the roll of a 'big brother' for a while before Michigan became part of the United States, but even then they kept in touch and still are good friends today. Whether they meet up over a hockey match or for a cup of coffee, you can always count on their friendship staying strong.

-France: One of the people she considers closest to her is indeed, France. The one who founded her and taught her plenty of things, Michigan has always been clingy to his side and quick to come to him for such things as affection and guidance. He is more or less a fathering figure in her life, and he still calls her Laurence and insists she changes her name back to the one he gave her. Of course, she doesn't see him as often, and it often brings a great disphoria to her as she can't see the person she cares for most every day as she wishes she could. Though she still happens to try and stay in touch to the best of her abilities, and if there is effort on France's behalf to try and hang out with her as well, it surely does brings happiness to her soul.

-United States: With him being the country she belongs to, she is a loyal follower of his, though since there are 49 other states, she rarely talks to him as she is self-governed on many aspects and doesn't need to consult with him much. There relationship is one of amiable respect, and they only meet on necessary or special occasions no matter how rare those events come by. There bond was most strong during World War 2 when her state was producing many tanks and was one of the biggest suppliers for tanks among other machinery. He was thankful for her large contribution, to which gave her a temporary spot on the favorite list. As a conclusion, Lauren always loves talking to the eccentric man as she finds it rather amusing when she spends time with him.

Extras/Headcanons:

- Lauren still owns a car from the 1940s Ford line and often takes it out for a drive along the coasts of Lake Michigan.

- She owns a cross necklace given to her from Father Marquette when he first came to Michigan to preach to the natives. She wears this necklace almost everyday to remind her of the kind man, and keeps it in a vintage box with three crowns engraved on the lid as a vague correlation to the Trinity. This necklace is kept in this box due to the fact it has a lock on it to keep it safe.

- When she rides her bike, she has an odd quirk to always ring the little bell on the handle bars often.

- Lauren has a very nasily accent, and has a not almost completely detectable Canadian French lull to her voice.

-Headcanon: Laurens' name wasn't always Lauren. It's actually changed a few times over the course of her existance! When the three Native American tribes were still alive, more or less acting as the grandparent figures for Michigan, her name was simply Tayanita (which meant "young beaver". I found this fitting because of the fur trade which would later become very, and I mean VERY, important for Michigan's history and the furs of beavers were extremely popular and sought after.), though specifically Ottawa, the grandfather figure, nicknamed her Lulu which meant 'rabbit' since she was always springing about everywhere. Once France came to her lands around the time the Three Tribes were dying out as they were already old and in poor health, the peace between the Natives and the French was very strong. Claiming the land as his after befriending Tayanita and the natives, he renamed her Laurence Marilou Fustier. The newly founded Michigan had some name issues, however. Upon hearing her name (which was pronounced like Lor-AHN with the nasily 'n'), many made the mistake of taking it as Laurent, the masculine version of the name. This caused some confusion when people heard of Laurence since they assumed they were meeting a boy, and once finding out she was a girl, they often teased her for it, especially Ohio. Eventually her name would be changed to the American version, Lauren Mary Foster, once the United States finally became its own country. Though, France still insists on calling her Laurence.

-Headcanon: When Lauren gets nervous or anxious, she unknowningly inflicts wounds on herself. Whether it be chewing on her tongue or inner cheek, biting her lip, biting her fingernails, pulling her own hair, and/or visciously scratching at her arms or the back of her neck to the point blood is drawn, these all are things she does when under pressure. It might not be noticeable at first, perhaps something that appears ordinary, but when all is said and done, there might be large scratches and red marks along her arms or a bruising lip. Because of this, she often has band-aids on her self-inflicted scratches to help cover them.

Her Grandparent figures (aka the Three Tribes of Native Americans who lived in Michigan)
Ottawa - Annawan Fala means "chief crow"
Potawatomi - Hurit means "beautiful"
Ojibwe - Hausisse means "old woman" though Lauren would call her "Nekoma" which meant "grandmother"

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History: When the first European explorers arrived, the most populous tribes were Algonquian peoples, which include the Anishinaabe groups of Ojibwe (called "Chippewa" in French), Ottawa, and the Potawatomi. The three nations co-existed peacefully as part of a loose confederation called the Council of Three Fires. The Ojibwe, whose numbers are estimated to have been between 25,000 and 35,000, were the largest.
	The Ojibwe were established in Michigan's Upper Peninsula and northern and central Michigan, and also inhabited Ontario, northern Wisconsin, southern Manitoba, and northern and north-central Minnesota. The Ottawa lived primarily south of the Straits of Mackinac in northern, western and southern Michigan, but also in southern Ontario, northern Ohio and eastern Wisconsin, while the Potawatomi were in southern and western Michigan, in addition to northern and central Indiana, northern Illinois, southern Wisconsin and southern Ontario. Other Algonquian tribes in Michigan, in the south and east, were the Mascouten, the Menominee, the Miami, the Sac (or Sauk), and the Fox, and the non-Algonquian Wyandot, who are better known by their French name, the Huron.
	French voyageurs and coureurs des bois explored and settled in Michigan in the 17th century (at the time of course, our baby Michigan was a toddler at the time). The first Europeans to reach what later became Michigan were those of Étienne Brûlé's expedition in 1622. The first permanent European settlement was founded in 1668 on the site where Père Jacques Marquette established Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan as a base for Catholic missions. Missionaries in 1671–75 founded outlying stations at Saint Ignace and Marquette. Jesuit missionaries were well received by the Indian populations in the area, with relatively few difficulties or hostilities. In 1679, Robert Cavelier, Sieur de la Salle built Fort Miami at present-day St. Joseph.
	In 1701, French explorer and army officer Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac founded Fort Pontchartrain du Détroit or "Fort Pontchartrain on-the-Strait" on the strait, known as the Detroit River, between lakes Saint Clair and Erie. Cadillac had convinced King Louis XIV's chief minister, Louis Phélypeaux, Comte de Pontchartrain, that a permanent community there would strengthen French control over the upper Great Lakes and discourage British aspirations.
	The hundred soldiers and workers who accompanied Cadillac built a fort enclosing one arpent, the equivalent of just under 200 feet (61 m) per side) and named it Fort Pontchartrain. Cadillac's wife, Marie Thérèse Guyon, soon moved to Detroit, becoming one of the first European women to settle in the Michigan wilderness. The town quickly became a major fur-trading and shipping post. The Église de Saint-Anne (Church of Saint Ann) was founded the same year. While the original building does not survive, the congregation of that name continues to be active today. Cadillac later departed to serve as the French governor of Louisiana from 1710 to 1716. French attempts to consolidate the fur trade led to the Fox Wars involving the Meskwaki (Fox) and their allies versus the French and their Native allies.
	At the same time, the French strengthened Fort Michilimackinac at the Straits of Mackinac to better control their lucrative fur-trading empire. By the mid-18th century, the French also occupied forts at present-day Niles and Sault Ste. Marie, though most of the rest of the region remained unsettled by Europeans. France offered free land in an effort to attract families to Detroit, which grew to 800 people in 1765, the largest city between Montreal and New Orleans.
	From 1660 to the end of French rule, Michigan was part of the Royal Province of New France. In 1760, Montreal fell to the British forces ending the French and Indian War (1754–1763). Under the 1763 Treaty of Paris, Michigan and the rest of New France east of the Mississippi River passed to Great Britain. After the Quebec Act was passed in 1774, Michigan became part of the British Province of Quebec. By 1778, Detroit's population was up to 2,144 and it was the third largest city in Quebec.
	During the American Revolutionary War, Detroit was an important British supply center. Most of the inhabitants were French-Canadians or Native Americans, many of whom had been allied with the French. Because of imprecise cartography and unclear language defining the boundaries in the 1783 Treaty of Paris, the British retained control of Detroit and Michigan after the American Revolution. When Quebec split into Lower and Upper Canada in 1791, Michigan was part of Kent County, Upper Canada. It held its first democratic elections in August 1792 to send delegates to the new provincial parliament at Newark (now Niagara-on-the-Lake).
        Under terms negotiated in the 1794 Jay Treaty, Britain withdrew from Detroit and Michilimackinac in 1796. Questions remained over the boundary for many years, and the United States did not have uncontested control of the Upper Peninsula and Drummond Island until 1818 and 1847, respectively.
        During the War of 1812, Michigan Territory (effectively consisting of Detroit and the surrounding area) was surrendered after a nearly bloodless siege in 1812. An attempt to retake Detroit resulted in a severe American defeat in the River Raisin Massacre. This battle is still the bloodiest ever fought in the state and had the highest number of American casualties of any battle in the war. Ultimately, Michigan was recaptured by Americans in 1813 after the Battle of Lake Erie. An invasion of Canada which culminated in the Battle of the Thames was then launched from Michigan. The more northern areas were held by the British until the peace treaty restored the old boundaries. A number of forts, including Fort Wayne were built in Michigan during the 19th century out of fears of renewed fighting with Britain.
        The population grew slowly until the opening in 1825 of the Erie Canal connecting the Great Lakes and the Hudson River and New York City. The new route brought a large influx of settlers, who became farmers and merchants and shipped out grain, lumber, and iron ore. By the 1830s, Michigan had 80,000 residents, more than enough to apply and qualify for statehood. In October 1835 the people approved the Constitution of 1835, thereby forming a state government, although Congressional recognition was delayed pending resolution of a boundary dispute with Ohio known as the Toledo War. Congress awarded the "Toledo Strip" to Ohio. Michigan received the western part of the Upper Peninsula as a concession and formally entered the Union on January 26, 1837. The Upper Peninsula proved to be a rich source of lumber, iron, and copper. Michigan led the nation in lumber production from the 1850s to the 1880s. Railroads became a major engine of growth from the 1850s onward, with Detroit the chief hub.
	The first statewide meeting of the Republican Party took place July 6, 1854, in Jackson, Michigan, where the party adopted its platform. The state was heavily Republican until the 1930s. Michigan made a significant contribution to the Union in the American Civil War and sent more than forty regiments of volunteers to the federal armies.
	Modernizers and boosters set up systems for public education, including founding the University of Michigan (1817; moved to Ann Arbor in 1837), for a classical academic education; and Michigan State Normal School, (1849) now Eastern Michigan University, for the training of teachers. In 1899, it became the first normal college in the nation to offer a four-year curriculum. Michigan Agricultural College (1855), now Michigan State University in East Lansing, was founded as the pioneer land-grant college, a model for those authorized under the Morrill Act (1862). Many other private colleges were founded as well, and the smaller cities formed high schools late in the century.
	Michigan's economy underwent a transformation at the turn of the 20th century. Many individuals, including Ransom E. Olds, John and Horace Dodge, Henry Leland, David Dunbar Buick, Henry Joy, Charles King, and Henry Ford, provided the concentration of engineering know-how and technological enthusiasm to start the birth of the automotive industry. Ford's development of the moving assembly line in Highland Park marked the beginning of a new era in transportation. Like the steamship and railroad, it was a far-reaching development. More than the forms of public transportation, the automobile transformed private life. It became the major industry of Detroit and Michigan, and permanently altered the socio-economic life of the United States and much of the world.
	With the growth, the auto industry created jobs in Detroit that attracted immigrants from Europe and migrants from across the U.S., including those from the South. By 1920, Detroit was the fourth largest city in the U.S. Residential housing was in short supply, and it took years for the market to catch up with the population boom. By the 1930s, so many immigrants had arrived that more than 30 languages were spoken in the public schools, and ethnic communities celebrated in annual heritage festivals. Over the years immigrants and migrants contributed greatly to Detroit's diverse urban culture, including popular music trends, such as the influential Motown Sound of the 1960s led by a variety of individual singers and groups.
	Grand Rapids, the second-largest city in Michigan, is also an important center of manufacturing. Since 1838, the city has also been noted for its furniture industry and is home to five of the world's leading office furniture companies. Grand Rapids is home to a number of major companies including Steelcase, Amway, and Meijer. Grand Rapids is also an important center for GE Aviation Systems.
        Michigan held its first United States presidential primary election in 1910. With its rapid growth in industry, it was an important center of union industry-wide organizing, such as the rise of the United Auto Workers.
        In 1920 WWJ in Detroit became the first radio station in the United States to regularly broadcast commercial programs. Throughout that decade, some of the country's largest and most ornate skyscrapers were built in the city. Particularly noteworthy are the Fisher Building, Cadillac Place, and the Guardian Building, each of which is a National Historic Landmark.
        In 1927 a school bombing took place in Clinton County; the Bath School disaster, which resulted in the deaths of 38 schoolchildren, constitutes the deadliest mass murder in a school in U.S. history.
        Michigan manufactured 10.9 percent of total United States military armaments produced during World War II, ranking second (behind New York) among the 48 states.
        Detroit continued to expand through the 1950s, at one point doubling its population in a decade. After World War II, housing was developed in suburban areas outside city cores; newly constructed U.S. Interstate Highways allowed commuters to navigate the region more easily. Modern advances in the auto industry have resulted in increased automation, high tech industry, and increased suburban growth since 1960.
        Michigan is the leading auto-producing state in the U.S., with the industry primarily located throughout the Midwestern United States, Ontario, Canada, and the Southern United States. With almost ten million residents, Michigan is a large and influential state, ranking eighth in population among the fifty states. Detroit is the centrally located metropolitan area of the Great Lakes Megalopolis and the second largest metropolitan area in the U.S. linking the Great Lakes system.
         Biomedical Science Research Building at the UM Medical School supports the Michigan Life Sciences Corridor.
The Metro Detroit area in Southeast Michigan is the largest metropolitan area in the state (roughly 50% of the population resides there) and the eleventh largest in the USA. The Grand Rapids metropolitan area in Western Michigan is the fastest-growing metro area in the state, with over 1.3 million residents as of 2006. Metro Detroit receives more than 15 million visitors each year. Michigan has many popular tourist destinations which include areas such as Traverse City on the Grand Traverse Bay in Northern Michigan. Tourists spend about $17 billion annually in Michigan supporting 193,000 jobs.
	Michigan typically ranks third or fourth in overall Research & development expenditures in the U.S. The state's leading research institutions include the University of Michigan, Michigan State University and Wayne State University which are important partners in the state's economy and the state's University Research Corridor. Michigan's public universities attract more than $1.5 B in research and development grants each year. Agriculture also serves a significant role making the state a leading grower of fruit in the U.S., including blueberries, cherries, apples, grapes and peaches.

More than half a million men and women from Michigan served in the military. On the home front, Michigan became one of the most important states in the war effort. The automobile industry stopped producing consumer cars and switched to tanks and bombers. The unemployment rate nearly vanished and per capita income of Michigan residents increased 115 percent.

As we are preparing to honor living World War II veterans in Michigan, we are also using the opportunity to write about Michigan during the war.

Other Facts Worth Mention:

-Although the Treaty of Paris granted the Northwest Territories to the United States in 1783, most of the settlers and Native American Indians living in Detroit favored the British, who continued to maintain control. It wasn’t until a coalition of Indian tribes, known as the Western Confederacy, lost the Battle of Fallen Timbers in 1795 that the British finally evacuated in 1796 and the new United States took control.

-In 1874, John Ward Westcott established a marine company to deliver destination and dock information to passing ships by sending messages up a rope on a pail. In 1948, the J.W. Westcott became an official mail boat of the U.S. Postal Service, and later acquired the world’s first floating postal zip code: 48222.

-The first moving automobile assembly line began operations in Henry Ford’s Hyland Park plant in 1913, reducing chassis assembly from 12 and one half hours to 93 minutes within a year.

-The five-mile long Mackinac Bridge, linking the Upper and Lower peninsulas of Michigan across the Straits of Mackinac, took more than three years to complete and was the world’s longest suspension bridge between anchorages when it was first opened to traffic in 1957.

-The Great Lakes contain more than 80 percent of North America’s—and more than 20 percent of the world’s—surface fresh water supply.