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| Subject: Imperial civil wars... | |
Author: Ed Harris (Venezia) | [ Next Thread |
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] Date Posted: 19:40:09 10/24/04 Sun In reply to: Bruce 's message, "Imperial Civil War" on 18:02:53 10/24/04 Sun Um, Imperial Civil War of 1775-1783, not 1875-83. I was refering to what the Americans call the Revolutionary War and what the British call the American War of Independence. My point in calling it the Imperial Civil War is quite simply that the divisions over which we fought occured all over the Empire, not just in North America. Many American colonials supported the Crown against the Revolutionaries, just as many in the British Isles supported the American revolutionaries against the Crown. Indeed, almost as many North American colonials fought for the Crown as did regular British troops. To call it 'The American Revolution' implies that it was a war in which the inhabitants of one part of the British Empire fought for independence from the rest. In reality, it was not so clear-cut... it was a civil war in which supporters of both sides were drawn from all parts of the Transatlantic British State of the time. If this were not true, then the British Empire Loyalists would not have made such a significant contribution to the beginnings of British Canada, nor would there have been such rejoicing in Britain and Ireland at the news that the American Colonials had won. [ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ] |
| [> [> [> [> [> [> Subject: Civil War ? | |
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Author: Bruce [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 02:12:54 10/25/04 Mon Ed, Thanks for the correction in dates. Simple carelessness on my part due to haste, realized after I was already well on the highway to an appointment. Sounds to me like the argument you are advancing is a much larger one than you've indicated, perhaps referring back to the 1640's. As such it seems you are at risk of reading too much into certain of the events you have alluded to. Considering the scope and size of the Empire at the time (Cook's voyage is just starting)in question as well as the turmoil throughout Europe and the world, it seems a bit of a stretch to view these events under a purely British-American perspective. By the way, I believe it is the British and Canadians that call it the Revolutionary War and the Americans who like the high sounding phrase "The War of Independence" There is no doubt that the 13 colonies had territorial designs on what is now Canada and of course beyond into the Indian Lands and that they were incensed that the Quebec Act wrecked some of their territorial plans making conflict more likely by an expansionist group of rebels. Further, following several attempts by the Americans to conquer and/or annex Canada between 1773-78, George Washington stopped a further plan to attack Canada fearing that it would provide an opportunity for France to resume its North American possession and thus advance a plan to keep the US more dependent on France for support. As usual, especially from that time forward, the interests of Canada have been caught fully between those of America and Britain and frequently France. So Civil War - I'm not convinced, that is too convenient. If it was it begs two questions; 1. Is that civil war over yet? 2. If so, who won and what did they win? [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |