Post #4289687

It’s interesting to me that I’ve seen several British takes on the Revolutionary War/American War of Independence recently. Some of them are far more well-informed than others (and more informed than me). Some of them seem more interested in ax-grinding sessions because they’re sick of the US and many Americans (I sympathize). Some of the things I’ve learned (that is, stuff I didn’t know before): The Irish were inspired by the war to demand (and gain) more autonomy Many folks in Britain supported the American colonists, sometimes violently, though t’s impossible to say how many.For many colonists that supported the war, it was about land; they had continental (genocidal) ambitions and they were being told to stop by Parliament. Also the lofty ideas that were circulating really did get into many people from all levels of society.For the Crown, it was about enforcing empire and a tax policy to shore up revenues for a desperately indebted government.Brits don’t generally learn much of anything about this part of our shared history in school. Things I suspect a lot of Americans don’t know: The colonies would absolutely have lost without the FrenchThe 13 colonies were not the most economically important to the British Empire, the Caribbean colonies wereLots of people in the 13 colonies were loyalists, though it’s impossible to say how many.Pretty much all of the wealthy, powerful men of the colonies spouting lofty ideals were horrible, disgusting, hypocrites. Things I suspect a lot of Brits don’t know: The Common Wealth probably doesn’t happen (at least the way it did) without the war.The French Monarchy probably doesn’t fall and Napoleon probably remains a lieutenant-colonel without the war.All of modern European history would therefore have been different. Additional thoughts: It’s useless to demarcate people living in Britain from people living in the 13 colonies by calling them English. The colonists were English as well.American English differs from British English often because the American idiom is the older British idiom. “Soccer” is a very good example.No one knew in the last part of the 1700’s whether British/American slavery would be abolished or who would do it first. But in both cases, the legal end of slavery was only part of an ongoing history.I’m sick of over the top patriotism and have been forever. Lots of Americans are. We’re proud of select Americans and their stories. I don’t need or want to celebrate enslavers and patriarchal fuckwits.