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This statue stands right next to the water tower at the intersection of Cross Street and Washtenaw. It was given to the city of Ypsilanti in 1928.
Demetrius Ypsilanti here! I am so glad you decided to learn more about the name of your city. Do you like the statue above? I suggest you go to the water tower and see it; I look gorgeous!
On this page you can find out more about the country of Greece, and more importantly, you will learn about me! Here are important dates about how Ypsilanti got its name:
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Demetrius Ypsilanti and The Greek War of IndependenceI am Demetrius Ypsilanti, and I was born in 1793. My family is from Greece, but when I was young, I traveled to different countries such as Turkey, Russia, and France. Learning about different cultures in important. On my travels, I learned about the American Revolution. The people in the United States fought to make their country independent from Great Britain. In 1820 (the same time that settlers were coming to Michigan), my country of Greece was ruled by the country of Turkey. The rulers in Turkey did not treat Greek people as equals. We could not make our own rules, and we had to pay high taxes. The Greek people wanted independence. We wanted our own government. I was a military leader, so I organized people to fight against Turkey. We had to work together because there were many more people in Turkey's army than in the Greek army. In the summer of 1825, there was a battle near the city of Argos in Greece. My army of 480 Greek solders fought against a Turkish force of 6,600 men. By working together we defeated the gigantic army. I wrote to newspapers all over the world to tell about the Greek people trying to win their freedom. Our story even reached Detroit, Michigan. We won the war and were able to choose our own leaders, our own rules and even our own flag. |
Let's see what you have learned. Click on the box with the correct answer to the question:
How did Ypsilanti receive its name?
| Ypsilanti is a French name of a trading post that was located where the city of Ypsilanti is today. | Ypsilanti is an Native American word for "river" | Ypsilanti was the name of Greek general. Early town leaders were inspired by his story and named their town, Ypsilanti. |
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We need you to find more information on my home the country of Greece.
To begin, click on the country of Greece on the map.
There are buildings in Greece that are around 2000 years old!
There are three buildings below. Which one is the newest?
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| BCE | - stand for, "Before the Common Era" |
| CE | - stands for, "Common Era" |
Some people use the terms |
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| BC | - "Before Christ" |
| AD | - "Anno Domini" Latin for "Year of the Lord" |
Go to the Archive, and find an actual letter written by Demetrius Ypsilanti. It was printed in the Detroit Gazette. He wrote to newspapers, so people all over the world would know why they were fighting Turkey.
Learn about ancient Greece: http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/greeks/
http://www.artsofcitizenship.umich.edu/sos/ypsilanti/students/demetrius/index.html
Students on Site: Ypsilanti is a project of the Arts of Citizenship Program at the Unviersity of Michigan
http://www.artsofcitizenship.umich.edu
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