Michigander

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Michigander

Michigander is a demonym

Demonym

A demonym, also referred to as a gentilic, is a name for a resident of a locality which is derived from the name of the particular locality....
for residents of the U.S. state of Michigan

Michigan

Michigan is a Midwestern United States U.S. state of the United States of America. It was named after Lake Michigan, whose name is a French adaptation of the Anishinaabe language term mishigama, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
. It coexists principally with Michiganian. Less common alternatives include Michiganer, Michiganite, Michiganese, and Michigine. Various Michigan residents may prefer one or the other. (Residents in the Upper Peninsula

Upper Peninsula of Michigan

The Upper Peninsula of Michigan is the northern of the two major land masses that comprise the U.S. state of Michigan. It is commonly referred to as the Upper Peninsula, the U.P., or Upper Michigan....
more typically refer to themselves as Yoopers

Upper Peninsula of Michigan

Pejorative

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Encyclopedia

Michigander is a demonym

Demonym

A demonym, also referred to as a gentilic, is a name for a resident of a locality which is derived from the name of the particular locality....
for residents of the U.S. state of Michigan

Michigan

Upper Peninsula of Michigan

Pejorative

Words and phrases are pejorative if they imply disapproval or contempt. When used as an adjective, pejorative is synonymous with derogatory, derisive, dyslogistic, and contemptuous....
, but has since lost its negative connotation. Some use Michigander to indicate any resident of Michigan, and use Michiganian to indicate an alumnus/alumna of the University of Michigan

University of Michigan

The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan is a public university research university located in the state of Michigan. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan, which also includes two regional campuses in University of Michigan-Flint and University of Michigan-Dearborn....
. Wolverine and Michigan-man are, in modern usage, used exclusively in the latter context. The web sites of the Michigan Humanities Council and the Michigan Historical Center use Michiganian, though there is no officially correct term.

Origin

The word Michigander is attributed to Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln was the List of Presidents of the United States President of the United States. He successfully led the country through its greatest internal crisis, the American Civil War, preserving the Union and ending slavery....
, coining it when he was a Whig

Whig Party (United States)

The Whig Party was a political party of the United States during the era of Jacksonian democracy. Considered integral to the Second Party System and operating from 1833 to 1856, the party was formed in opposition to the policies of President of the United States Andrew Jackson and the Democratic Party ....
representative in Congress. On July 27, 1848, Lincoln made a speech against Lewis Cass

Lewis Cass

Lewis Cass was an United States military officer and politician. During his long political career, Cass served as a governor of the Michigan Territory, an American ambassador, and a United States Senate representing Michigan....
, who had been a long-time governor

List of Governors of Michigan

The following are governors of the Michigan Territory and the U.S. state of Michigan.*Prior to becoming its own territory, parts of Michigan were part of Northwest Territory , Indiana Territory and Illinois Territory ....
of the Michigan Territory

Michigan Territory

Michigan Territory was an organized territory of the United States in the early 19th century, between June 30, 1805 and January 26, 1837, at which point it became Michigan, the 26th U.S....
. Cass was then running for president on a "popular sovereignty

Popular sovereignty

Popular sovereignty or the sovereignty of the people is the belief that the legitimacy of the state is created by the will or Consent of the governed, who are the source of all political power....
" platform that would have let states that were conquered in the Mexican-American War decide whether to legalize slavery. Lincoln accused the Democrats

Democratic Party (United States)

The Democratic Party is one of two major party contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party . It is the oldest political party in continuous operation in the United States and it is one of the oldest parties in the world....
of campaigning on the former President Andrew Jackson

Andrew Jackson

Andrew Jackson was the List of Presidents of the United States President of the United States . He was List of governors of Florida of Florida , commander of the American forces at the Battle of New Orleans , and eponym of the era of Jacksonian democracy....
's coattails by exaggerating their military accomplishments.

But in my hurry I was very near closing on the subject of military tails before I was done with it. There is one entire article of the sort I have not discussed yet; I mean the military tail you Democrats are now engaged in dovetailing onto the great Michigander [i.e. Lewis Cass].

Lincoln thus combined Michigan with gander to form a nickname that made Cass sound foolish like a goose

Goose

Goose is the English-language name for a considerable number of birds, belonging to the family Anatidae. This family also includes swans, most of which are larger than geese, and ducks, which are smaller....
. Michiganders would go on to vote for Lincoln for President twice in 1860

United States presidential election, 1860

The United States presidential election of 1860 set the stage for the American Civil War. The nation had been divided throughout most of the 1850s on questions of states' rights and slavery in the territories....
and 1864

United States presidential election, 1864

In the United States Presidential election of 1864, Abraham Lincoln was re-elected as president. Lincoln ran under the Republican Party banner against his former top Civil War general, the Democratic Party candidate, George B....
.