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Official: America is a lost cause


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I'm sure you could do the same thing with English kids around the civil war.  And I'd bet many wouldn't even know which century it was in.  I'd struggle to get within fifty years if I'm honest.

 

I'm not sure the English Civil War (1642 to 1651) is quite as significant in UK history as the US Civil War is in US history.  The US Civil War is probably the second most significant event in US history after the War of Independence. Moreover, these are college students who presumably did this stuff at High School within the last few years.

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To be fair, there was a trick question in there. "Who did we gain our independence from?" They're in Texas so the correct answer would be Mexico.

 

They didn't so much gain independence from Mexico as colonise a part of Mexico. For the same reason, we don't say that the state of Wyoming gained independence from native Americans.

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I'm not sure the English Civil War (1642 to 1651) is quite as significant in UK history as the US Civil War is in US history.  The US Civil War is probably the second most significant event in US history after the War of Independence. Moreover, these are college students who presumably did this stuff at High School within the last few years.

 

 

 I suppose the English Civil war isn't that significant - Apart from removing the divine right of kings to rule and passing the government to the people. Leading to the world's first true democracy for over a thousand years.

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I'm not sure the English Civil War (1642 to 1651) is quite as significant in UK history as the US Civil War is in US history.  The US Civil War is probably the second most significant event in US history after the War of Independence. Moreover, these are college students who presumably did this stuff at High School within the last few years.

The English Civil War resulted in the deaths of nearly 4% of the population at the time.  I know next to nothing about it, compared to the Tudors and Stuarts.  Why is this?  Because the ruling classes lost. Which is the same for Texans.  I'm sure if you asked students in the Northern states they'd know a lot more about the civil war.

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 I suppose the English Civil war isn't that significant - Apart from removing the divine right of kings to rule and passing the government to the people. Leading to the world's first true democracy for over a thousand years.

 

I didn't say it wasn't significant and if you think it led to a democracy then you need to reread history and your definition of democracy is vastly different from mine - universal suffrage wasn't achieved until 1928 and that was through the struggle of many courageous working class men and women.

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They didn't so much gain independence from Mexico as colonise a part of Mexico. For the same reason, we don't say that the state of Wyoming gained independence from native Americans.

Not quite. Texas itself did declare independence from Mexico. The rest of the South West were as you say conquered
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I'm sure you could do the same thing with English kids around the civil war.  And I'd bet many wouldn't even know which century it was in.  I'd struggle to get within fifty years if I'm honest.

 

"Name five decisive battles of the second world war ..."

 

"Who is the Home Secretary?"

 

"Who is the First Minister of Wales?"

 

"Which way up do you fly the union flag if you're not in distress?"

 

"What's a farthing?"

 

(I bet more would get who won the US Civil War to be honest)

Build a man a fire, and he'll be warm for a day. Set a man on fire, and he'll be warm for the rest of his life. (Terry Pratchett)

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They didn't so much gain independence from Mexico as colonise a part of Mexico. For the same reason, we don't say that the state of Wyoming gained independence from native Americans.

 

Originally, non-Mexicans, mainly from the USA, colonised part of Mexico but they eventually won independence from Mexico. They existed briefly as an independent republic before joining USA, unlike Alaska, for instance, who just changed hands from one empire to another. Only the original 13 states could accurately say they won their independence from England.

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"Name five decisive battles of the second world war ..."

 

"Who is the Home Secretary?"

 

"Who is the First Minister of Wales?"

 

"Which way up do you fly the union flag if you're not in distress?"

 

"What's a farthing?"

 

(I bet more would get who won the US Civil War to be honest)

I actually had to look up the First Minister of Wales...

"When in deadly danger, when beset by doubt; run in little circles, wave your arms and shout"

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Finding a few ignorant college kids is an unfair representation.  However, the ignorance that Americans have for US history does take me back. 

A few questions that I have never found an American get right include:

 

Q What did the British Government do to prompt the Boston Tea Party?

A Lower tax on tea

US Answer: Increase tax to punitive levels

 

Q Who won the War of 1812?

A The US invaded what became Canada.  The British colonies held them off until the red coats had finished with Napoleon.  Then the British marched South, burned down the white house and signed a treaty in part of British occupied Maryland.

US Answer: The USA won, allowing them to expand west.

 

 and more.....

"You clearly have never met Bob8 then, he's like a veritable Bryan Ferry of RL." - Johnoco 19 Jul 2014

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"Name five decisive battles of the second world war ..."

 

"Who is the Home Secretary?"

 

"Who is the First Minister of Wales?"

 

"Which way up do you fly the union flag if you're not in distress?"

 

"What's a farthing?"

 

(I bet more would get who won the US Civil War to be honest)

 

1. I got all those easy. However, I might well struggle on the UK Citizen Application test that I saw in a newspaper once. That really had been drawn up by the public schoolboys.

 

2. I remember farthings. A black jack or fruit salad chew cost a farthing.

 

3. In South Wales valleys, there's no right way to fly the Union Jack. And yes, we know it's properly called the Union Flag,

;)

Under Scrutiny by the Right-On Thought Police

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US War of Independence:

 

George Washington led his bold patriots against the iniquitous British.

Every American is made aware of this.

 

Oh, and he had 300 black slaves.

Not as many Americans are made aware of this.

Under Scrutiny by the Right-On Thought Police

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US War of Independence:

 

George Washington led his bold patriots against the iniquitous British.

Every American is made aware of this.

 

Oh, and he had 300 black slaves.

Not as many Americans are made aware of this.

 

You can do it with everyone though.  Welsh history is riddled with it(*).

 

"Everyone" knows Owain Gyndwr was a patriot fighting for freedom.  They don't need to know Owen Glendower was a Marcher Lord - thus a member of the English aristocracy who fought for the English for several decades - and his grievances owed more to the behaviour of other Lords and losing the support of the English king in land disputes.

 

(* = Not a direct go at you. Just a rare example of something I know about.)

Build a man a fire, and he'll be warm for a day. Set a man on fire, and he'll be warm for the rest of his life. (Terry Pratchett)

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