If The U.S. Hadn't Been Born From British Colonies.

Just for a bit of fun.

We all know that the U.S. was born from The British North American Colonies.

So how different if any, would it have been if it came from Colonies of The French, Spanish, Portuguese or Dutch ?

Probably a very difficult question to answer, but it gets your mind thinking. Areas like, Politics, economy, culture and Constitution come to mind.

Keep it well mannered.

Look to the south like Louisiana for an idea of how we'd be if french. They almost have their own legal system there, based on French law I'm told.
Some areas to the north that were settled by Dutch people have wooden shoe shops and have towns built to suit them and their nordic ways. Ski chalet inspired, is what it reminds me of.
You can see the other foreign influence on a lot of cities and even in the regional behaviors of the people who settled there.

Is that what you were getting at? Or do you mean we might have attacked less people and been more or less aggressive if we were 'French" born if you will?

a reply to: twoturtles

Or do you mean we might have attacked less people and been more or less aggressive if we were 'French" born if you will?

That question would be most probably not easy to answer.

The things that i see would be different are areas like language. Music sounds much better sang in English i believe. Law ( your laws are mostly based on English Common Law ) The Constitution ( The Magna Carta had a great influence on that ).

Would you have the freedom to own guns? Your Founders would not have been British, so they would probably have had a completely different mindset.

Just a few of the things i can think of.

a reply to: alldaylong
If Spanish colonies, then surely they would have gone the same way as the South American colonies. They would be a patchwork of separate republics, which never quite succeeded in establishing even regional federations.

If the French founded the US we wouldnt have made it past the intercoastal waterway before we retreated. Same with the Spanish, except they would have just stolen the gold. Too lazy to set up camp and make long term plans.

a reply to: twoturtles

Or do you mean we might have attacked less people and been more or less aggressive if we were 'French" born if you will?

The French have been fighting wars at least as long as the UK and they were at least as aggressive in trying to build an Empire as Britain.....they just weren't as good at it.
Same applies to Spain and almost every other European nation.

If the US hadn't been British?
Well, just look at the rest of The Americas.

a reply to: twoturtles

Yeah but the French rebellious influences really came from relocating the Acadians from Nova Scotia after the French and Indian War in 1755. Which became the Cajans we think of today. Yes LaSalle founded Louisiana, but the Cajans were the big change.

The UP has a lot of Finns and Italians that originally settled this area. I think most of the Brits settled along the coasts where they could get to the ships to get their tea and gained wealth managing imports and exports of supplies.

Things have changed over the last two hundred years. Actually the Christians had more influence on creating our society than any country. Our laws kind of followed Christian ethics, and those ethics were similar in lots of countries back four hundred years ago, except maybe the Stanish who seemed to have a way different interpretation of Christianity than the other nations.

originally posted by: rickymouse
Our laws kind of followed Christian ethics...

Mosaic Law has very little input in American Law, which is influenced primarily by English Common Law and some Roman Law.

originally posted by: AugustusMasonicus

originally posted by: rickymouse
Our laws kind of followed Christian ethics...

Mosaic Law has very little input in American Law, which is influenced primarily by English Common Law and some Roman Law.

But isn't English common law and modern Roman law actually based on christian values? Or "mosaic law", as you phrase it?

a reply to: Subaeruginosa

No, that was Canon Law. English Law has its founding in the courts of English Kings and merchant courts. This was unified into English Common Law.

Here's a good source.

originally posted by: Ahabstar
a reply to: twoturtles

Yeah but the French rebellious influences really came from relocating the Acadians from Nova Scotia after the French and Indian War in 1755. Which became the Cajans we think of today. Yes LaSalle founded Louisiana, but the Cajans were the big change.

Mais oui, Sha!

For one thing, none of us would be responding in English.

a reply to: StallionDuck

Funny. I spent the night at the King Frog Travel Plaza in Rayne, LA back in 2005 a few weeks before Katrina hit. The locals didn’t have anything to do with me after dropping a little French on me after I said hello. I wondered how many made it for lack of neighborly manners.

Never mind that I dated a Cajan girl in the early 90’s. I just never bothered to learn French.

a reply to: Ahabstar

One of my aunts lives in Rayne. I'm surprised though. We tend to pride ourselves on acceptance of pretty much anyone.

Careful of Cajun women. If they really like you, they'll make you fat quick so no one else will want you and they can keep you to themselves.

a reply to: StallionDuck

She made sure I had plenty exercise.

originally posted by: AugustusMasonicus

originally posted by: rickymouse
Our laws kind of followed Christian ethics...

Mosaic Law has very little input in American Law, which is influenced primarily by English Common Law and some Roman Law.

Christianity evolved in fifteen hundred years, it had some of the basics of mosaic law but it was way different. What Jesus taught in the bible did not match the Jewish religion that much, but he made it fit Judaism when he preached there. I won't say that the Cruisades were good, in fact that was not even Christianity the way they killed all who opposed the religion. But the vatican tried to stay somewhat out of politics but leaders of countries forced religion to work with them. For Christians to survive, they had to go with the flow. Just like today, there were good Christians and there were people using Christians to gain power and wealth.

Well, if it were Portugal we'd probably be somewhat like Brazil?? I firmly believe had the English not been the primary colonizers, somehow someway the conus would not be under one Dominion, but various factions over the last 240 years.

Even today there would likely be some violent ongoing border conflict I infer near mountains and gulf of Mexico.

originally posted by: Ahabstar
a reply to: StallionDuck

She made sure I had plenty exercise.

Fierce attitude and fierce lovin... can't beat it.

I love my Cajun women.

a reply to: alldaylong according to whoever wrote history,evidence proves Americas may have been area of creation,history shows it was well established with great buildings of 4 stories,from 1400's,the dirt bag rotten toothed Brits are to blame