A question for those in the U.K., Scotland etc.

I know this isn't quite a usual topic for ATS, but it's something I'm genuinely curious about. I asked earlier in another thread, but I guess noone saw it.

In the U.S. what we refer to as the Revolutionary War or War of Independence.....how is this viewed or referred to elsewhere? How do historians outside the U.S. portray this point in history?

I hope you'll forgive the unusual subject, but curiosity got the better of me.

Well, as far as I know, the UK doesn't really studt US history that much at all in school/college. You have to learn yourself through books, and it just tells it like it is, reffered to as the War of Independence.

The French screwed us, as usual!!!!

Well,I'm from the UK and I always here it refered to as "The Ungrateful Peasant Uprising"

No,only joking.Generally it's refered to as the "American Revolution" though recently "The War of Independence" is being used more as Briton is more influenced by US media.

I think it's an interesting question.Brits tend to get a little pissed about Movies that portray Revolutionaries as good and redcoats as evil.I think,from my understanding, revolutionaries were in the minority early on but the Brits blew it by not keeping the average Americans on side.

There is no resentment of any kind.I mean the idea that we should still be in charge.As they say blood is thicker than water and as anyone can see from the relationship between our two countries for the last century these things find there natural level.Similar peoples have the same principles.

As a Pro-American,wanting to see the US lead the free world,I would only have one criticism.For God sake learn from our mistakes and don't repeat them in an updated guise.Because the world does need a leader with your basic principles.

I studied it in school as it was a part of my English History course (it's not just part of your history yanno Yanks!!! It's ours too!!!)

We called it "The American War of Independence"

Usually it's referred to as the American Revolution, I don't think it's taught in UK schools. My history teacher told uswe wouldn't study US history because they don't have any history to study

In most Scottish schools, we get nothing or very little about the American Revoultion.

From what I can remember at school we got.

1. The Romans
2. The Vikings
3. About 6 years on Crop Rotation
4. Battle of Culloden
5. A little bit of WWII

If we had got anything of the American Revoultion it might had made it a bit more fun (Battles and the English getting a beating)

Originally posted by trinityschild
In most Scottish schools, we get nothing or very little about the American Revoultion.

From what I can remember at school we got.

1. The Romans
2. The Vikings
3. About 6 years on Crop Rotation
4. Battle of Culloden
5. A little bit of WWII

If we had got anything of the American Revoultion it might had made it a bit more fun (Battles and the English getting a beating)

I can back you up on this one TC - we got pretty much the same. Although I really enjoyed History at school, I often felt it was all a bit blinkered.

Its actually a pretty good question.

Im not surprised by the Answers tho, as Britain has thousands of years of ground to cover, the revolutionary war was but a blip, and when you consider how many other colonies they had, it was but one colony.

We learn American history and world history in alternating fashion, one year we learn one, one year we learn another. Interestingly enough, in World history once we get past the 1500, almost entirely focuses on the British, with the French and Spaniards coming in second, but the Spaniards more so. probably because this country was divided into those three superpowers colonies, each having heavy influence on us. World war 2 is covered somewhat, but not a whole hell of alot of emphasis is covered in Europe, but primarily, focuses on Japan.

John makes an interesting point tho, the child is doing the same thing the parent did. Were mimicing you. The parents tells the child, look, I #ed up, I did bad #, look what drugs did to me, look what hanging around the worng crowd did to me, and the child says, with fingers in ears "blah blah blah not listening, that was you, I can do it cuz I know everything, blah blah blah" and is getting into the same trouble and might learn the same lesson, hopefully.......

I was educated in London, and did nothing on the American revolution.

The only piece of American history we studied was the Great Depression.

All they really want us to know about here in the UK is that Hitler was the most evil man that ever lived and was a maniac, they say teaching us this will prevent someone like Hitler comiong to power here.

I know it doesn't make sense. But all the kids who go to school and don't learn anything still know Hitler was the most evil man ever.

We have good historians in this country but unless you pursue history at degree level you don't learn much.

My girlfriend just finished her History A-Level, she got a B, it was British history sinse WW1 and Russian history in the 20th Century.

Funnily enough never do we learn about the British empire. My parents filled me in here though.

Originally posted by John bull 1
I think it's an interesting question.Brits tend to get a little pissed about Movies that portray Revolutionaries as good and redcoats as evil.I think,from my understanding, revolutionaries were in the minority early on but the Brits blew it by not keeping the average Americans on side.

What was that film, was it The Patriot, with Mel Gibson. Damn that film made me angry

But, yeah, in Britain we aren't taught much about the American Revolution only that 'it' happened. Nothing more. Perhaps it's based along the lines of blocking out the stuff you want to forget etc.

I hold nothing against America for it.

(Mel Gibson, *eye twitches*)

[Edited on 15-9-2003 by Creepy]

Interesting thread.
Most of our British friends responded as I would expect.
I am surprised that no one brought up the fact that here in America we have the same problem with ignoring unpleasant happenings in our past(in curriculum).
When I was in High School "American History" was chock full of all the details of just about every battle of the Revolutionary war. I think the same book had about 2 paragraphs on Vietnam. They basically said "It Happened..."
I'll check some of my wifes current text books tonight (She teaches High School) and see if that's still the case.

The role of the French navy seems to be undervalued somewhat by the Americans of today. They played an integral part in isolating the British army on land, and then just leaving Washington to mop them up.

The French were your friends once remember.



[Edited on 16-9-2003 by Fantastic_Damage]

Originally posted by Fry2
Interesting thread.
Most of our British friends responded as I would expect.
I am surprised that no one brought up the fact that here in America we have the same problem with ignoring unpleasant happenings in our past(in curriculum).
When I was in High School "American History" was chock full of all the details of just about every battle of the Revolutionary war. I think the same book had about 2 paragraphs on Vietnam. They basically said "It Happened..."
I'll check some of my wifes current text books tonight (She teaches High School) and see if that's still the case.

In my high school near london, we studied vietnam in great detail. We looked at how much America #ed up e.g the My Lai massacre. Anyways, that sucks that the textbooks in America are totally controlled about that subject. It shows new generations how wrong war almost always is, and how terrible it almost always ends up.

Originally posted by MrEisenhower

Originally posted by John bull 1
I think it's an interesting question.Brits tend to get a little pissed about Movies that portray Revolutionaries as good and redcoats as evil.I think,from my understanding, revolutionaries were in the minority early on but the Brits blew it by not keeping the average Americans on side.

What was that film, was it The Patriot, with Mel Gibson. Damn that film made me angry

But, yeah, in Britain we aren't taught much about the American Revolution only that 'it' happened. Nothing more. Perhaps it's based along the lines of blocking out the stuff you want to forget etc.

I hold nothing against America for it.

(Mel Gibson, *eye twitches*)

Well, the movie The Patriot wasn't entirely accurate anyway. In reality (as far as I know, I could be wrong) the militias weren't that heavily relied on. More often than not militias broke and ran when the regular army stood it's ground. Some U.S. school textbooks portray the "Minutemen" as the backbone of the Continental Army....in reality they played only a small part in the war. The main advantages of the Continental Army were fighting on it's own ground, and the fact that some of the officers defected from the British Army. From what I've studied, the CA got by on mostly tactics of deception, luck and bluffing.

Although I thought the movie was entertaining, I really wish when Hollywood uses history as a basis for movies, they try to be more accurate (ie Titanic)

But I would like to thank everyone who posted in this thread. Your input and thoughts are greatly appreciated.

I have the same reply as before, we weren't taught US history as my teacher at the time said they didn't have any history. It changes but it's generally known as the American Revolution over here.

One of the worst films ever for political accuracy (as wel as being terrrible hollywood crap too) has to Pearl harbour. "oh yeh lets change the facts of world war 2 just to make characters work and to make america and japan look better and stuff. #ers.

Originally posted by earthtone
One of the worst films ever for political accuracy (as wel as being terrrible hollywood crap too) has to Pearl harbour. "oh yeh lets change the facts of world war 2 just to make characters work and to make america and japan look better and stuff. #ers.

AMEN!!!

In my high school near london, we studied vietnam in great detail. We looked at how much America frocked up e.g the My Lai massacre. Anyways, that sucks that the textbooks in America are totally controlled about that subject. It shows new generations how wrong war almost always is, and how terrible it almost always ends up.

We learn different things, obviously, Across the US.

For instance, Vietnam was hardly ever mentioned at all in history. A few footnotes here and there. Thats it.

We also studied almost nothing of the revolutionary war either. Our main historical focus was on the US from about 1840 to the great depression, after that, everything else was skimmed over. The civil war recieved alot more study. The wild west too. Thats about it. After that, its like, well ask your grandma, ask your mom, ect.
We learned alot of pre American history, like the Indians. And wed learn state history, for whatever state you lived in.