# British Dopers: How, And At What Age, Did You First Learn That The USA Was Once A British Colony **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 20, 2020, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-dopers-how-and-at-what-age-did-you-first-learn-that-the-usa-was-once-a-british-colony/915841 "2020-07-20T15:14:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Sternvogel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Sternvogel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sternvogel)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2020, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-dopers-how-and-at-what-age-did-you-first-learn-that-the-usa-was-once-a-british-colony/915841/41 "2020-07-23T02:05:51Z")
> [@MEBuckner](#): > > I wonder what percentage of Americans know that the Philippines used to be an American colony? I learned that fact as a result of noticing that some of the older books in my school’s library and classrooms had Philippines copyright information. Since I was born in 1959, these books would have been about twenty years old by the time I read them. I asked my mother why American texts had been produced for such a faraway bunch of islands, and she told me that she remembered when the Philippines became independent from the USA in 1946. Curious to learn more, I soon gained a rudimentary knowledge of the Spanish-American War, which helped me understand why Puerto Ricans spoke Spanish even though they were American citizens. ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2020, 8:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-dopers-how-and-at-what-age-did-you-first-learn-that-the-usa-was-once-a-british-colony/915841/42 "2020-07-23T08:15:44Z")
> [@XT](#): > > Why? I’m guessing the first or second world war? But even had you lost either, why would you be speaking German?? It doesn’t make sense if they are talking about the George I, as we didn’t have anything to do with that…though that’s as close to you lot having to speak German I’d say. You obviously don’t hang out on Twitter enough - it’s a favourite phrase of the ‘rah rah USA, we won the war for you’ crowd, the idea that if it wasn’t for the USA, we’d all now be a German colony. ---
**Author:** ![Brayne\_Ded](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Brayne\_Ded](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brayne_Ded)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2020, 9:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-dopers-how-and-at-what-age-did-you-first-learn-that-the-usa-was-once-a-british-colony/915841/43 "2020-07-23T09:31:11Z")
Much the same here. I was aware of the history of the US from reading and from TV by my teens. In school, at about age 14, we had a year of history that covered the USA. Pretty much factual and straightforward; there was a revolution and they have done their own thing since then. What I did not realize until much later that it was essentially a war of the elites. Washington et al were not exactly hardy pioneers and backwoodsmen, they were English-style country gentlemen. The school tuition stuck to the facts and did not raise the interesting question as to why slave-owners got so worked up about human rights and independence. ---
**Author:** ![Brayne\_Ded](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Brayne\_Ded](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brayne_Ded)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2020, 9:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-dopers-how-and-at-what-age-did-you-first-learn-that-the-usa-was-once-a-british-colony/915841/44 "2020-07-23T09:34:33Z")
Oh yes, the Canadian revolution. Minutenmen _and_ guillotines? 🙂 Maudit tabernacle. ---
**Author:** ![Mark\_Finn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/34f0e0/32.png) [@Mark\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mark_Finn)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2020, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-dopers-how-and-at-what-age-did-you-first-learn-that-the-usa-was-once-a-british-colony/915841/45 "2020-07-23T14:10:04Z")
The Canadians were revolting in 1837-38. There was a gallows or an Australia-bound exile ship for the bad guys. ---
**Author:** ![Asuka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@Asuka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asuka)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2020, 9:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-dopers-how-and-at-what-age-did-you-first-learn-that-the-usa-was-once-a-british-colony/915841/46 "2020-07-26T09:38:17Z")
A very VERY large percentage of Europeans don’t even realize slavery was still in a thing in their African colonies up until World War 2, and if you bring this up even on IMHO they’ll actively start insulting you for bringing it up. A lot of Brits in particular bring up the “Slavery Abolition Act 1833” and then wipe their hands of it completely, not knowing that very obviously companies in Africa were pretty much doing the same things Southern Americans were doing after the abolition of slavery to basically force black Africans back into slavery in all but name, except even worse because they were hidden in Africa well away from “normal” British eyes. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2020, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-dopers-how-and-at-what-age-did-you-first-learn-that-the-usa-was-once-a-british-colony/915841/47 "2020-07-26T13:29:37Z")
> [@PatrickLondon](#): > > I was referring to the (not unheard-of) trope among some visiting Americans: “If it wasn’t for us, you’ld all be speaking German.” > [@XT](#): > > Why? I’m guessing the first or second world war? But even had you lost either, why would you be speaking German?? It’s usually said by Americans to the French. WWII, Hitler’s armies occupied France. Some Americans like to think that they rescued France, that without American intervention France would still be occupied by Germany. Thus, the French would all speak German. Of course, Washington got his ass kicked by the British until the French came to his rescue. It is therefore fitting for the French to reply: “If it wasn’t for us, you’d all be speaking English.” ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2020, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-dopers-how-and-at-what-age-did-you-first-learn-that-the-usa-was-once-a-british-colony/915841/48 "2020-07-26T18:34:30Z")
> [@MEBuckner](#): > > I wonder what percentage of Americans know that the Philippines used to be an American colony? (And that [the United States fought a pretty nasty colonialist war there](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine%E2%80%93American_War)?) I remember learning this in school in the 70s, but in the context of our magnificent imperialism, expanded manifest destiny, and the occupation of benighted nations. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2020, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-dopers-how-and-at-what-age-did-you-first-learn-that-the-usa-was-once-a-british-colony/915841/49 "2020-07-26T19:33:00Z")
There is an urban legend that Congress almost voted to make German the official language of the U.S. This is a misunderstanding. In 1795, there was a bill discussed in Congress that would have mandated that all federal bills be printed in German as well as in English. It didn’t pass. ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2020, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-dopers-how-and-at-what-age-did-you-first-learn-that-the-usa-was-once-a-british-colony/915841/50 "2020-07-28T03:53:58Z")
The idea that the USA nearly spoke German was certainly a meme in the 20th century. America was very largely multi-lingual until the introduction of national broadcast radio. Big Swedish communities up until WWII. Some ‘Pennsylvania Dutch’ still remain. But WWI saw the German language become very unpopular, and of course the call-up (although small in comparison to a country like Britain) also had a dramatic effect on the common language. The USA has many regional and ethnic cooking styles, but when I compare basic generic American cooking to English foods, I’ve always thought that English pastry, like English mustard, is more French, and American pastry, like American mustard, is more German. I’d say that the American Constitution is more Scottish-Presbyterian than anything else, but they fought and ultimately lost the war on Prohibition against the ‘German’ vote. (Of course, the Irish Catholics had an opinion too, but they were a reason to _support_ Prohibition) ---
**Author:** ![moojja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e5b9ba/32.png) [@moojja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moojja)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2020, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-dopers-how-and-at-what-age-did-you-first-learn-that-the-usa-was-once-a-british-colony/915841/52 "2020-07-31T18:15:55Z")
From this thread, I learn that British Dopers are not taught about the American revolution. Does the average British person know that U.S.A uses to be an British colony? I know the average American doesn’t know that Philippine used to be an American colony. Or about any of the U.S. controlled territories. ---
**Author:** ![Filbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/filbert/32/3433_2.png) [@Filbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Filbert)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2020, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-dopers-how-and-at-what-age-did-you-first-learn-that-the-usa-was-once-a-british-colony/915841/53 "2020-07-31T21:05:24Z")
> [@moojja](#): > > From this thread, I learn that British Dopers are not taught about the American revolution. Does the average British person know that U.S.A uses to be an British colony? Yeah, the average British person would know. American media is ubiquitous here, apart from anything else- plus, given most of the British speaking countries were at one point a British colony, anyone who didn’t know would probably assume it to be the case. There’s still plenty of ‘glorious empire’ rhetoric around, even if we’re not taught about the less glorious reality. ---
**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2020, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-dopers-how-and-at-what-age-did-you-first-learn-that-the-usa-was-once-a-british-colony/915841/54 "2020-07-31T22:01:42Z")
> [@Filbert](#): > > American media is ubiquitous here, apart from anything else- plus, given most of the British speaking countries were at one point a British colony, anyone who didn’t know would probably assume it to be the case. Yes this. In my case I never had much formal education in history; at the age of around 13 I had to pick either geography or history (it was possible to pick both, but then you’d have to drop one of the sciences or something) and I chose the former. So while I remember learning about the world wars, the tudors and the black death, I don’t recall anything about US history or the revolution. But I essentially always knew it was a former colony, and I think this is true of the vast majority of Brits. ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2020, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-dopers-how-and-at-what-age-did-you-first-learn-that-the-usa-was-once-a-british-colony/915841/55 "2020-08-04T12:39:27Z")
> [@moojja](#): > > From this thread, I learn that British Dopers are not taught about the American revolution. Does the average British person know that U.S.A uses to be an British colony? Is that what you got from this thread? I thought many of us said we had covered it, albeit in a very brief, skip-along-the-way-to-the-French-Revolution kinda way. It’s probably covered in some kind of ‘British Empire’ module too, although I confess not remembering doing that. I do remember staring at a world map in an exercise book which showed all the ‘British’ bits marked in pink, so I’m guessing we were taught something about it. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2020, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-dopers-how-and-at-what-age-did-you-first-learn-that-the-usa-was-once-a-british-colony/915841/56 "2020-08-09T02:36:00Z")
Did you learn about the British Invasion of the US in 1963? ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2020, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-dopers-how-and-at-what-age-did-you-first-learn-that-the-usa-was-once-a-british-colony/915841/57 "2020-08-12T16:16:16Z")
Damn straight\* \*Not really. ---
**Author:** ![Mallard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Mallard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mallard)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2020, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-dopers-how-and-at-what-age-did-you-first-learn-that-the-usa-was-once-a-british-colony/915841/58 "2020-08-12T20:01:24Z")
I’m in western Canada from that same era and the curriculum was much the same. We learned about the American revolution more through the British/North American history perspective and how it affected what eventually became Canada. ---
**Author:** ![Mallard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Mallard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mallard)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2020, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-dopers-how-and-at-what-age-did-you-first-learn-that-the-usa-was-once-a-british-colony/915841/59 "2020-08-12T20:03:06Z")
More like March '64. 🎵 🎸 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-dopers-how-and-at-what-age-did-you-first-learn-that-the-usa-was-once-a-british-colony/915841.md?page=2)