fatbrit

Not surprising, really.

The revolutionary war was in fact America's first civil war if we're only considering white history. And the losers were the foundation of modern Canada.

Steve_

The one that gets me is in the M-638 US citizenship guide, which says that America won the War of 1812. And the Canadian citizenship guide says they lost, which must be true otherwise Canada wouldn't exist!

S Folinsky

For some reason it the burning of the White House that is taught although the British also burned the Capitol in the burning of the capital.

Your post piqued my curiosity since I was aware of the fact that the Capitol Dome was not completed until the US Civil War. [Yes, I am aware of the fact that "Civil War" as a name for the conflict is a political statement to some. But I do not care to get into a philosophical discussion on the nature of the republic today]. I did not know about the torching of the incomplete Capitol until five minutes ago. Learn something new every day.

tamms_1965

S Folinsky

Funny you should mention it that -- July 3, 1863 was a turning point in the fight against slavery -- in Mississippi and Pennsylvania.

In Ken Burns The Civil War, it was noted that Independence Day was not celebrated in Vicksburg for the next 90 years! [BTW, I recommend the 5 DVD set of the series. I was born and raised in California and my family did not enter the US until the 20th Century. I agree with the PBS promo that the series explains what it is to be an "American."].

p.s. I attended US Grant High School in Van Nuys, CA. I think the school was deficient in not making the Autobiography of General Ulysses Grant required reading. I did not read it until I was in my 40's -- the history aside, it should have been required for his use of the English language. It should be noted that the book has never gone out of print since 1885. Grant died destitute but his memoirs, completed a week before his death brought $400,000 in royalties to Julia.

p.p.s. I think Julia Grant contributed a lot to what America is today.

p.p.p.s. -- I am offended by the proposal to substitute Ronald Reagan on the $50 bill in place of US Grant. If Andy Jackson was removed from the $20 bill, I would not be too upset. That said, I see no reason to put Ronnie on any bill -- I'd prefer John Marshall or William Howard Taft. But that is a topic for another day.

Bob

They probably don't know what it is

Bob

It's funny, because he's such the big character here in MA and well loved...but, and possibly because we used to live not far from Castine, in ME...he isn't up there.

He was essentially discharged for cowardice and dereliction of duty and, with a massive army, a huge lead on time, fire power and vantage point, didn't want to face the Brits in Maine, waiting for the navy to do the attack instead, which resulted in a humiliating arse kicking and him doing a runner...when they should have wiped the floor of the Brits....the navy also took their biggest pounding until Pearl Harbor came around and because of it, you find US cannons that were recovered by the Brits as far as Australia.

Oh and the massive loss of ships and troops almost bankrupted the country, it ruined MA.

Irony being the grandson of the officer of the US garrison who was sidelined by Revere wrote the infamous poem that made Revere so popular here

S Folinsky

Actually, that happened on September 3, 1783 with the signing of the Treaty of Paris.

The people who say the colonists whipped the asses of the British don't know their history. George Washington's genius was in keeping the Continental Army in existence as a "force in being." [A variation of a "fleet in being." It was not until 1781, when the French Navy defeated the Royal Navy in Chesapeake Bay, that Washington won a decisive victory at Yorktown.

Without romanticizing things, the history is an interesting study.

The curious thing is that Jefferson's prose in the introduction of the Declaration of Independence has been inspiring people since 1776. [Note I say the introduction -- the "list of grievances" is boring reading]. There were changes happening in Britain. Also, it is one of those ironies of history that the French Revolution was inspired by the American Revolution.

Which BTW, leads to discussion of the War of 1812 -- that war was unpopular in both the UK and the US and the UK later had a dude by the name of Napoleon to worry about. I was always taught that the war was inconclusive and the big US victory in New Orleans occurred after the peace treaty was signed.

Norri

My sweetheart does speak Japanese.

Egg and Cress

Sometimes we wish you would! Then maybe we could start over - fresh!

Egg and Cress

You sound like a history professor! As usual, talking heads told the story based on which side of the pond they were on. Not exactly revisionists, just different points of view. Take all the tales, put them together and you probably come up with what REALLY happened.

Tarkak9

.... this would imply that many in this country wonder why fireworks go off today -

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com...ans/?hpt=hp_t2

Sally Redux

Why di they play the 1812 Overture when the fireworks go off?

Jerseygirl

Because they could.

hobbes79

I just say "I'll celebrate satan so long as you give me a paid holiday" and that tends to diffuse most situations