Michigander

"Michigander" is a demonym for residents of the State of Michigan. It coexists with the word "Michiganian". Unlike "Michiganian", "Michigander" was originally pejorative. It has since lost its negative connotation.

Origin

The word Michigander is attributed to none other than Abraham Lincoln, when he was a Whig representative in Congress. On July 27, 1848, Lincoln made a speech against Lewis Cass, the first governor of the Michigan Territory. Cass was running for president on a “popular sovereignty" platform that would have let states conquered in the Mexican War decide whether or not to legalize slavery. Lincoln accused the Democrats of campaigning on the former President Andrew Jackson's coattails by playing up their own 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 the word "Michigan" with the word "gander" to form a nickname that made Cass sounds foolish like a goose. Never the less many Michigan residents prefered the sound of the word "Michigander" to the word "Michiganian", and the word remains popular to this day.