Not having any British people around me, I can’t seem to find the answer to this question. How do the British refer to the American War for Independence, i.e. the Revolutionary War? How do they teach it in school?
Thanks
I can only answer unscientifically from personal experience. We were taught it as the War of Independence. There were no particular issues about this - if that’s what the question is aiming at. We were taught about the independence of the US as a former colony, just as we were also taught about conflicts over independence in India, for example.
Maybe someone more recently involved in education could give you more information about the current approach.
Charley.
From my personal experience (school in the mid-'80s), it was referred to as the American War of Independence, or just the War of Independence. It didn’t get a lot of coverage in history; I can remember being taught very little beyond Agincourt and eventually Queen Elizabeth I.
Just a “me too” kind of post to say that my mother (British)was taught about it (very limitedly) as The War for Independence.
I always knew it as the American war of independance. I think is also true to say that we don’t lose much sleep over having lost it so are happy to let you set the name for your war.
War of Independence makes more sense than Revolutionary War, since the colonists weren’t trying to overthrow the English gov’t, just get away from it.
Thanks for all your responses. I’ve been curious as to whether it was referred to as a rebellion or what. With a history as long as England’s, it only makes sense that you wouldn’t care too much. Wow, that leads me to another question. How in the world do you learn all that history? We have only a grand total of around three hundred years to learn about. You have–what–at least a thousand years of recorded history?
Just be happy you’re not going to school in Iraq. Imagine the size of their history textbooks!
Heh. Yeah, I’ve never thought of that before, but they would have a lot to cover compared to an American History class. I can see it now: “Please open your history textbook to Chapter 1: 5000 BC, The Beginning of Civilization in the Mesopotamian River Valley.”