Happy 4th of July

[Rosie Real]

I'd say WWI, WWII, a couple Gulfs, and Afghanistan have pretty much rendered all that stuff to the "bygones" stage.

Well you'd think so.....anyways seeing as the first 13 colonies in America came from England, wouldnt that make a lot of you British descent? I've also read that the native Americans were then obliterated following your independence gain.

 

[Grandpa]

Well you'd think so.....anyways seeing as the first 13 colonies in America came from England, wouldnt that make a lot of you British descent? I've also read that the native Americans were then obliterated following your independence gain.

Indeed, we have a lot of tradition, including sort of the same language, from the mother country. However, while 13 colonies did comprise the first states, we've added 37 more since then, and you'd be hard-pressed to call, for instance, the southwest U.S., from Louisiana through Texas and on to California, "British descent." You'd be just as hard-pressed to say that since much of the British isles were once a Roman colony, the current Brits are necessarily of Roman descent.

When I was growing up, the U.S. was, rightly I believe, termed "the melting pot" because of its diversity that, while honoring their many and varied traditions, remained wedded to the American ideal.

And yes, the nascent and expanding country was hard on the native Americans (who could likewise be hard on each other). But.... I'm having a tough time placing a pin anywhere on the global map where indigenous people weren't suppressed or pushed out at some point. Not to say it's right, but the U.S. is hardly standalone in that respect. (You do realize that in order to establish the colonies in the first place, the British settlers/invaders had to push out the indigenes of that time.)

 

[DiO'Bolic]

You guys started that one too didn't you?

Anyway, we were kind of busy at the time with the little French guy.

But none of that matters, we're all friends now right?

No we didn't start that one. That piece of paper was only a formality after some acts of aggression, including impressment of American merchant sailors into the Royal Navy for use in your spat with that little French guy.

But yeah we’re friends now. Heck, I may even forgive the debt on a note I hold where Massachusetts owes some money from that 1812 thing. But dang, 200 years of interest really adds up.

 

[Rosie Real]

Indeed, we have a lot of tradition, including sort of the same language, from the mother country. However, while 13 colonies did comprise the first states, we've added 37 more since then, and you'd be hard-pressed to call, for instance, the southwest U.S., from Louisiana through Texas and on to California, "British descent." You'd be just as hard-pressed to say that since much of the British isles were once a Roman colony, the current Brits are necessarily of Roman descent.

When I was growing up, the U.S. was, rightly I believe, termed "the melting pot" because of its diversity that, while honoring their many and varied traditions, remained wedded to the American ideal.

And yes, the nascent and expanding country was hard on the native Americans (who could likewise be hard on each other). But.... I'm having a tough time placing a pin anywhere on the global map where indigenous people weren't suppressed or pushed out at some point. Not to say it's right, but the U.S. is hardly standalone in that respect. (You do realize that in order to establish the colonies in the first place, the British settlers/invaders had to push out the indigenes of that time.)

Yeh the settlers started off the whole process of displacing the native americans, but at least while the Proclamation line was in place, it offered some protection to them. Once control was removed from the British then a full-scale wipeout proceeded. And yei who knows what British actually means, since we've been invaded by pretty much every country going, and immigration even to this day is at a high level. I still harbour fantasies of being a descendant of Boudica, or maybe even Viking! I'd like to do one of those gene tests which supposedly can tell you which race you are descended from.

 

[Grandpa]

Yeh the settlers started off the whole process of displacing the native americans, but at least while the Proclamation line was in place, it offered some protection to them. Once control was removed from the British then a full-scale wipeout proceeded. And yei who knows what British actually means, since we've been invaded by pretty much every country going, and immigration even to this day is at a high level. I still harbour fantasies of being a descendant of Boudica, or maybe even Viking! I'd like to do one of those gene tests which supposedly can tell you which race you are descended from.

Whether it's the Spaniards, the Portuguese, the English, or the French, I think that once settlements were established, the native lifestyle was doomed. It might have taken longer as a colonial power than a free-standing one, but population pressure or thirst for wealth was going to have its way. That's the way it's just about always been, just about everywhere around the world.

Yeah, the "pure" Irish side of my family has a certain swarthiness to it, which they call being "black Irish." The family tradition is that we're descendants of Spanish survivors who washed up on the shores of Erie from the wrecked Armada. Who knows.

 

[doowopgirl]

You made this? That looks lovely and delectable - you are making me hungry

Thank you. It was really easy. It's whipped cream, blackberries for the stars, raspberries for the stripes and a fork for quck eating.