signalmaintainer Posted July 4, 2010 Share Posted July 4, 2010 The Glorious Fourth here in the States, and I have my American flag proudly put up! I've always felt it it took a few generations for the British Empire to get over the indignation of our achieving Independence, what with the War of 1812, the squabble over Canada, considerations on intervening in our War Between the States, etc. Then, by the 1870s, things seem to take a turn for the best. Kind of like two guys who get in a fight, then become good friends. How does it really play over there after 200-plus years? No hard feelings, I hope! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dseagull Posted July 4, 2010 Share Posted July 4, 2010 Don't bank on it... link Edit; Fixed link, cheers Andi. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Dagworth Posted July 4, 2010 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 4, 2010 Don't bank on it... http://www.theonion....rican-revolutio,2677/ link not working, try this one Andi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Bob Reid Posted July 4, 2010 RMweb Premium Share Posted July 4, 2010 It never bothered our lot back then.... .........men of Scottish descent enjoyed an extraordinary representation among signatories of the Declaration of Independence. Well over a third, and by some estimations as many as three-quarters, of the fifty-six signatories were Scots-born or had some Scots ancestry. The prominence of Scots colonialists in the push towards independence and the contribution of so many Scots and Americans with Scottish blood in the creation and shaping of the United States illustrates the profound and widespread influence of the ideas and values of the Scottish Enlightenment Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
signalmaintainer Posted July 4, 2010 Author Share Posted July 4, 2010 Thanks for that link! Hilarious! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete the Elaner Posted July 4, 2010 Share Posted July 4, 2010 How does it really play over there after 200-plus years? No hard feelings, I hope! If we had won independence from a former governing nation, I'm sure we would be proud about it & celebrate too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Max Stafford Posted July 4, 2010 Share Posted July 4, 2010 Anyway happy birthday, you militant, tea-throwing tax dodgers...! Quality link that by the way and isn't that Capt. Kernow in the article next to it about the Shakespeare play...? Dave. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
highpeak Posted July 5, 2010 Share Posted July 5, 2010 Bear in mind that the war of independence bore something of the marks of a civil war, as many English folks felt the colonists had a point and many colonists felt a loyalty to the crown. Anyway, as a republican (small r) I'm glad they won! See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Paine for details on somebody who gets nowhere near enough credit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_Hughes Posted July 5, 2010 Share Posted July 5, 2010 It was, seen properly, a great victory for us on the right-hand side of the pond, with UK colonists fighting to preserve traditional British freedoms against a German king and - to a large extent - his Hessian mercenaries. Shame that that ghastly thief and pirate Hancock played such a large part in the whole business, though. Either way, congratulations to you, as also to the much larger nation to the north of you which had its own special day on the first of the month. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pointstaken Posted July 5, 2010 Share Posted July 5, 2010 We've got a debt crisis to solve, and the interest (compounded of course) on that tea tax would help out nicely - so pay up and look BIG ! Anyways, hope you all enjoyed your Independence Day - guard that and your freedom well ! Dennis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glorious NSE Posted July 5, 2010 Share Posted July 5, 2010 and isn't that Capt. Kernow in the article next to it about the Shakespeare play...? That's very uncanny...didn't know we could add directing to his many and varied talents! How does it really play over there after 200-plus years? No hard feelings, I hope! Pffft don't worry about it - I've never liked tea anyway... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted July 5, 2010 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 5, 2010 I was wondering if the folk over there have sussed out by now that you can only make a decent cup of tea if the water is boiling? (best to warm the pot/harbour first as well). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Tony_S Posted July 5, 2010 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 5, 2010 Last year we went to Old Sturbridge Village in Massachusetts. One of the attractions that day was a re-enactment of a skirmish that involved the British, the French and Americans. I overheard an American explaining to his small daughter that "The British were our friends now". She then asked about the French. He replied "Well, that's more complicated.." Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_Hughes Posted July 5, 2010 Share Posted July 5, 2010 And, of course, the Boston Tea Party wasn't what it appeared to be at all - and certainly not what the rather inane version taught in US schools suggests. Think about it - a simple protest against the tax would have involved 'liberating' the tea, not tossing it overboard! It was really all about making sure that the only tea people could buy would be that ruffian Hancock's smuggled stuff - the wholesale 'liberation' of the tea would have wrecked his market. And then he went on to sign his name so big on the Declaration! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
signalmaintainer Posted July 5, 2010 Author Share Posted July 5, 2010 I was wondering if the folk over there have sussed out by now that you can only make a decent cup of tea if the water is boiling? (best to warm the pot/harbour first as well). I think as a society we've generally become slovenly and lax regarding tea. Sure, there are pockets here and there which emulate the art of tea-making per British Standards. But overall it's not something we Americans can boast proudly of having mastered. Seems to be more difficult than sending a man to the moon. Perhaps it was the influx of Germans and Eastern Europeans 100-plus years ago that put paid to any chance tea would be our hot beverage of choice. As can be attested to by driving past any street corner in America, we're coffee addicts -- and I'll need mine in a few hours! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buffalo Posted July 5, 2010 Share Posted July 5, 2010 ...Perhaps it was the influx of Germans and Eastern Europeans 100-plus years ago that put paid to any chance tea would be our hot beverage of choice. As can be attested to by driving past any street corner in America, we're coffee addicts -- and I'll need mine in a few hours! But, even with coffee, something went wrong. Perhaps the Italian influence was too late, too small and too localised. After all, 'americano' is a modern Italian term that could be translated as 'weak coffee' I remember a few years ago asking for a double espresso at breakfast in one hotel only to be served two cups. It turned out that their machine could only handle single shots Nick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hoovered Posted July 5, 2010 Share Posted July 5, 2010 I've just picked up a book from my local cheap books shop called, A Guide to the Battles of the American Revolution by Theodore P Savas and J.David Dameron. ISBN 1-86227-370-7 The book looks at each battle from both viewpoints and a "then and now" guide to the area. Its surprising how many of the battles in the south were verymuch a local event , the "British" were usually loyalists, the "Americans" rebels, with hardly a "Briton" there. So it was more like a Civil War!. 80 years later , the rebels were still there, but, the "British" were replaced by the Federal Government. Dont forget, in 2 years it will be 200 years since the last time we fought each other, the War of 1812. but thats another story!! [ a "Warship" class loco should have been called SHANNON, as she fought perhaps the greatest single ship action ever, against the USS Chesapeake , on the 1st of June 1813 , just off of Boston Harbour, it took 11 minutes , start to finish, with more casualties than were suffered by HMS Victory at Trafalgar!!! , The timbers from the captured ship were used to build a mill in Wickham, Hampshire . The beams can still be seen today as the mill is still there . ] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium 45156 Posted July 5, 2010 RMweb Premium Share Posted July 5, 2010 As can be attested to by driving past any street corner in America, we're coffee addicts I ofen hear that American Coffee is meant to be superior, but the main export to the rest of the world has been Starbuck's - tastes like dishwater with am addition of dairy products. For me, the only decent coffee is the Italian based version, as sold in the UK by Costa and Nero, both of whom give a much better offering than their Stateside rival. Coffee versus tea apart, happy independence day to all our American members. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
62613 Posted July 5, 2010 Share Posted July 5, 2010 Last year we went to Old Sturbridge Village in Massachusetts. One of the attractions that day was a re-enactment of a skirmish that involved the British, the French and Americans. I overheard an American explaining to his small daughter that "The British were our friends now". She then asked about the French. He replied "Well, that's more complicated.." Tony If it hadn't been for the French, you possibly wouldn't have won; and there wouldn't have been a French Revolution. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trisonic Posted July 5, 2010 Share Posted July 5, 2010 If it hadn't been for the French, you possibly wouldn't have won; and there wouldn't have been a French Revolution. Has Essex declared Independence now? If so I'm on my way home to Shenfield....... Best, Pete. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Tony_S Posted July 5, 2010 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 5, 2010 If it hadn't been for the French, you possibly wouldn't have won; and there wouldn't have been a French Revolution. I'm actually a citizen of the "losing side"! I was on holiday in the US and the friends we were staying with thought we would enjoy the spectacle. It was all very impressive, as were all the historical sites we visited in New England (and New York). And for Trisonic here is a picture of a flag (taken at the re-enactment) which shows that he is continuing the long tradition of Essex men in the US! Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trisonic Posted July 5, 2010 Share Posted July 5, 2010 You know I never understood why they dropped the "y" from Billericay......there are so many Brentwood's in the 'States that I've lost count - I was going to say something about Ian Dury (God rest his soul) but I'd better not. Best, Pete. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
highpeak Posted July 5, 2010 Share Posted July 5, 2010 Last year we went to Old Sturbridge Village in Massachusetts. One of the attractions that day was a re-enactment of a skirmish that involved the British, the French and Americans. I overheard an American explaining to his small daughter that "The British were our friends now". She then asked about the French. He replied "Well, that's more complicated.." Tony I went to a party yesterday. The hostess told me she had been trying to explain what the party was about to her three year old. He got the bit about being annoyed at having to fork over money to folks who didn't live here, but he didn't know what England was. His Mom said, it's where my soccer coach is from. Kid now thinks they all owe me a lot of money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Tony_S Posted July 5, 2010 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 5, 2010 You know I never understood why they dropped the "y" from Billericay......there are so many Brentwood's in the 'States that I've lost count - I was going to say something about Ian Dury (God rest his soul) but I'd better not. Best, Pete. It may have even been spelt that way back here in Essex then! The Mayflower pub in Billericay (now a takeaway restaurant I have been told) was allegedly named after the place that the passengers stayed before they went down to the ship at Tilbury, it then went to Plymouth to pick up the Puritan contingent. When driving around last year we would pass lots of Essex names but then you would see a sign for Berlin. Later staying at Lake Champlain there was a lot of information about the first Royal Navy v US Navy battles. In those early days of the conflict Benedict Arnold was on the US side! Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
signalmaintainer Posted July 5, 2010 Author Share Posted July 5, 2010 I overheard an American explaining to his small daughter that "The British were our friends now". She then asked about the French. He replied "Well, that's more complicated.." Tony Indeed it is! There's a joke here that goes something like this: Raise your arm if your ancestors came from Europe. Anyone who's French, raise both arms. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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