Which American fort in Michigan surrendered to the British without a fight in 1812?

Fort Mackinac was the American fort in Michigan that surrendered to the British without a fight in 1812.

The fort stood on Mackinac Island, at the strategic Straits of Mackinac between Lake Michigan and Lake Huron. Its position made it important for controlling Great Lakes transportation and the regional fur trade. In July 1812, its small American garrison had not yet received reliable news that the United States and Britain were at war.

On July 17, British Captain Charles Roberts landed on the island with Canadian troops, fur traders, artillery, and Native American allies. Lieutenant Porter Hanks commanded roughly 60 American soldiers and believed his force was badly outnumbered. Fearing that resistance could lead to a massacre, Hanks accepted the British demand for surrender.

The Americans were paroled rather than subjected to a bloody assault. Fort Mackinac remained under British control for much of the war and became an early British success in the Great Lakes theater. Fort Detroit, Fort Dearborn, and Fort Wayne were separate posts with different wartime histories.