Yesterday America celebrated our independence from England and the freedoms that we developed after that. This is obviously a very big deal to us, as we wouldn't even have a country if not for the events in the late 1770s. Our history as an independent country starts with these moments and events so we place singular importance on what happened to cause us to fight against England for our independence.
It's easy to see how much we still remember and revere our "Founding Fathers". For example, just look at that phrase. In the US it's generally capitalized like a proper name. We have portraits of these important people on our currency, they frequently feature in the media. Two hundred years later and names like Washington, Jefferson, Franklin, and Adams are part of our collective culture.
But what about other countries, especially Great Britain? I was wondering about this today, and trying to think of it from the other side of the issue. I honestly do not know what importance or relevance is placed on the independence of the American colonies in British schools. But I'm sure it doesn't take up a large part of history texts like it does here in the US. And I doubt that British students study George Washington as much as they do King George.
My curiosity is now piqued, and I'd honestly like to hear from people outside of the US, particularly England. I know that I have plenty of international readers so I'm looking for you to make comments and help me gain a different perspective on these issues. It's often said that history is written by the victors, and America did win (with French help) against England in this war. What is said about the founding of America from a British viewpoint?
I look forward to hearing from my readers!
