In recognition of this country’s 250th anniversary, the Detroit Historical Society will celebrate the day that the United States flag first flew over the frontier village of Detroit – July 11, 1796, with a lecture by Joel Stone, DHS Curator Emeritus. This day, and Detroit’s role during the American Revolution, are not widely understood. However, on this single day – the day the British government left town – Detroit and the Northwest Territories added a mass of land to the young nation larger than the original 13 colonies. It represented a notable maturation of the republic and drew Detroit firmly into the new American reality – both the concept and actuality of expansionism and conquest that eventually became known as Manifest Destiny. It started here.