Travel Guide Flint

Founded in 1819, Flint grew first through the wood industry. But at the dawn of the th century, the city successfully guides the automotive industry. General Motors will be founded in 1908. One of the most striking episodes of the first half of the th century at Flint is probably the 1936-1937 strike, which sees General Motors against the United Automobile Workers. The workers take advantage of this fight, and allow this group to consolidate and train a very powerful automobile workers'trade union. Another very striking event of the 1960 th century, the closure of the General Motors plant in made Flint the symbol of the crisis in the American car industry. More than 30 000 people were licienciées in the 1980 s, for a total population of 150 000. Director Michael Moore who is very famous for his film Fahrenheit 9/11, golden Palme d'or festival de Cannes in 2004, is a native of Flint. He also conducted his first documentary - Roger and I (1989) - on the closure of the General Motors plant in his hometown. Today Flint has not recovered from this crisis, and is one of the most dangerous cities in the United States.