8 thoughts on “Happy Independence Day”

  2. Wait a minute! We are the ones who might, just might forgive you rebels and the treatment you meted out to those loyal to His Majesty the King, and might, just might, take you back. ;-)

  3. Helen – with all the talk of the Queen’s Jubilee I am thinking that had Queen Elizabeth II been in charge instead of George III we’d still be with you! ;-)

    I am reminded during our bicentennial in 1976 there was a poster from Britain saying “All’s forgiven – Mum”

  4. Helen – on a more serious note I find history interesting – there were about a third for revolution here, a third loyal to the Crown, and the remaining third didn’t care. When the war was over many American loyalists fled to Canada, others (including some of my family) fled to the then-wilderness (mine to Western Virginia – now West Virginia).

    Some went back to England.

    Always been interested in the intertwining of history if America and Australia – the British started in earnest the settlement of Australia once the colonies had been lost. In fact, it was an American Loyalist (according to a recent BBC history magazine I read) – who suggested focusing on Australia to James Cook once the colonies were lost.

  5. Thanks – and I’m thankful if we had to begin as a colony, it was as England’s.
    The Brits who respect their history more thoughtfully respect ours (and who dob’t, don’t).

  6. Bill, yes, the division of opinions is probably right or, at least, that is how most historians read it. I have always found Crane Brinton’s “The Anatomy of Revolution” quite interesting on the subject. Some of it, particularly about the Russian revolution, is probably out of date but the ideas worth reading.

    Must admit I didn’t know that about James Cook and the American Loyalist. It would make sense.

  7. I didn’t know that about Cook either Helen – it was in an excellent history magazine I read (British history) produced by the BBC. This was an article on the British Empire.

    One thing Britain lost was a place to send prisoners – they were going to Georgia – then shifted to Australia when the colonies were lost.

    When I was in Australia years ago I learned some interesting stuff on that, too. The prison started in what became Sydney – and in addition to the normal murderers and robbers were people sent from dubious reasons. One was a 16 year old girl – Mary [somebody] – accused by a British nobleman of horse theft (but she refused his advances).

    Well the judge gave her a choice – hanging or Australia ;-)

    A lot of Australian “high society” today claim their ancestry on a prisoner.

    One other thing I found interesting in this article – on the British Empire – the writer felt it was the British Army, not the Navy, who did the brunt of the empire building (I know you can’t get the supplies without the Navy).

    He listed all the major battles of the 17th and 18th century and the British Army lost only 1 – Yorktown.

    I think – winning independence – was near miraculous.

    At the surrender ceremony at Yorktown the British Army played an old English ballad – And The World Turned Upside Down

    Indeed it had that day.

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