History from different perspectives (The American Revolution

[Racetyme]

I have always wondered how the American Revolution is described in England. Here in the states, we are taught in school that the revolution occurred because the British government was levying unfair taxes, without regard for the desires and opinions of the colonists. What do you guys hear across the pond? Also, anyone from Australia or France I would also really like to hear from, due to the nature of Australia at the time of the revolution, and France's involvement. Anybody else who learned a little about it in school would be welcomed as well, as I would also like to hear an unbiased 3rd party opinion.

[Pie]

I learned about it reading this obscure book that I have forgotton the name of.

Well there were "wigs" and "tories" in england as well, people who supported the war and watnot.

well thats all the info I gots.

[Chris Johnson]

Here in the states, we are taught in school that the revolution occurred because the British government was levying unfair taxes, without regard for the desires and opinions of the colonists. What do you guys hear across the pond?

Unsurprisingly that's how The American Revolution is taught here in England, though it's probably not covered in the same depth as in the US. Whilst History is a compulsory subject , The American Revolution as a subject of study isn't taught in all schools, if it is it's normally a course of study for year 9 pupils (13 to 14 year olds) when the focus of the History curriculum shifts from the study of British Internal History to focusing on Britain's place in the world. Other areas taught at this age include the French Revolution, the Industrial revolution and the First and Second World wars (though any good historian will tell you the American Revolution came at the end of what was really the "first" World War ).

[Racetyme]

Thats kind of what I was expecting, but not what I was hoping for. Thanks much. Anyone from France who can give their perspective, I'm very curious about this one too.

[saztronic]

Actually (and unsurprisingly) there are a lot of different perspectives on the "causes" of the American Revolution. For example, many scholars today believe that the taxation issue was only a pretext -- that the Stamp Act and other taxes were actually quite lenient, and only intended to bring the colonies in line with the system of taxation to which citizens in Britain proper were already subject. People like Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Paine, etc. -- even though they had vastly different worldviews (secular humanist, deistic agnostic, and devout Christian, respectively) all agreed on one thing: that the American colonies represented a new, cosmopolitan, egalitarian meritocracy that bore little resemblance to British society. Although Franklin was a Tory most of his life, the stubborn insistence on the part of the British government that the colonies were subject to British rule and not due any speical consideration whatsoever, eventually led even Franklin to the conviction that only a clean and total break with Britain would be acceptable.

As with most wars and armed conflict, the American Revolution was really not much more than a big pissing contest. The "adolescent" colonists, so to speak, were convinced they didn't need big daddy anymore, and resented any implication to the contrary. The stiff-necked "father" King George wasn't about to take any lip from his upstart offspring. "As long as you're living in my house" and all that. Taxes and the right to bear arms & etc. was just backdrop -- the pretexts that any two entities in a fit of pique will seize on to start a fight.

[Pie]

Wait, there was an unoficial first world war?

Or are you talking about the nepolianic wars?

[DylPickle]

Wait, there was an unoficial first world war?

Or are you talking about the nepolianic wars?

It's just an opinion, Pie. Not fact, really.

Personaly, I wouldn't dub the American Revolution as a world war, because it was really just an evolving country fighting off colonists. *shrug* A one on one war, with a little French involvement, but I don't think that was really an overly significant aspect of the war.

Where I live, the only thing we really learn about the revolution is the basics and that the States attacked North immediatly after. But Canada wasn't really a nation then. Just a grouping of less revolutionary colonies. The French Revolution, Industrialisation, Expansionism, First and Second World Wars, and the Cold war are the basic middle/high school lessons. Plus the internal history, of course.

[Chris Johnson]

Wait, there was an unoficial first world war?

Or are you talking about the nepolianic wars?

No I'm talking about the Seven Years War (1756 to 1763) , multiple opponents fighting across continents including the campaigns against the French in North America. The affects of these war (including the state of the British Exchequer) had a direct impact on the American Revolution

[Zanthos]

Didnt the 7 years war end with the french and indian war? Sure, the aftermath of that war saw the levying of said taxes but I wouldn't say the american revolution was the end of it.

[Chris Johnson]

Granted , it was not the end of it - probably the wrong wording on my behalf - The point I was trying to make was that "The First World War" was not the first global conflict .

[formerly known as hf]

Wait, there was an unoficial first world war?

Or are you talking about the nepolianic wars?

It's just an opinion, Pie. Not fact, really.

Personaly, I wouldn't dub the American Revolution as a world war, because it was really just an evolving country fighting off colonists. *shrug*

Erm...

Those who were fighting for freedom were the colonists...

Why do the Native Americans always seem to get forgotten in the teaching and imagination of the American nation?

http://www.xkcd.com/c84.html

[Zanthos]

my schools didn't forget them. we basically covered how the americans fucked them over at each and every turn and basically drove their culture into the ground.

[Pie]

YEa, I learned that on the internet.

[Schme]

Personally, I don't recognize America's sovreignty. As far as I'm concerned, the so called "United States of America" is rebel held territory rightfully belonging to the British Crown.

I am fully behind any moves to rout the rebel government and restore control to her Majesty's government. However, I feel it would be best, practicality wise, if the "U.S.A." held territory were to be administered by the competent and loyal government of the Dominion of Canada.

[Racetyme]

The day for that is coming, I'm sure any week now.....