How is the American War for Independance taught in the UK?

[Lt.Snuffles]

It was covered reasonably thoroughly in my school

 

[Thedutchjelle]

Heya,

I'm from the Netherlands so perhaps I'm not supposed to speak up here, but we didn't get any of the independence war in the US (or perhaps so briefly that I forgot).

But then, we didn't really play a role in that war

 

[Xanian]

Yeah the war of independence really isn't a big deal in the UK and we simply don't study it at all.

You have to see it through our eyes.

At the time of the revolution we were busy owning practically everything in the world that was worth owning. We were fighting practically everywhere constantly from about 1700 through to 1900 and while we lost a few we won most.

So while the revolution was clearly a big deal for America since you're history is kinda pathetically short and you've flourished so much since, as far as our culture is concerned, it was a tiny unimportant conflict in an unimportant colony for us.

That is 100% correct,

They were more worried about the french, Spanish and the rest of Europe than America, India was more important than America by a 1000 times, And if the British wanted to bring America into line they would have crushed them. They just had bigger fish to fry! its well documented.

And as for WW2 for the Germans and Japs, Vietnam for the Yanks ect ect, Nobody like focusing on their past failures and douchbagness.

The Korean war isnt taught in Australia at all.
I guess that's why its know as the forgotten war!
Lest we forget!

I can only imagine how horrifying it must have been to have to learn all those thousands of years in only twelve.

As for me...I grew up in the Los Angeles area...so you'll be surprised I think as to what constitutes American history there. We basically started with Native nations of the Americas as our introduction to American history...I remember all of fourth and half of seventh grade focused on native peoples of North America. I know less about the Puritans than I do about the Iriquois nations, other than Puritans did witch burning and crazy stuff. We learned a lot about Vietnam, our hand in the Opium Wars, and there was actually a very small reference to our first forgotten Korean War from the 1800's, in which we very badly bungled a trade mission and recklessly slaughtered a number of native people for reasons I'm not sure even the men there were certain of.

I can understand why the American Revolution might seem like small beans, but American History does extend well beyond the years of the American Revolution. I know it seems like all that is taught here is patriotism, but I half-way think that is selective memory, especially with so many patriotic holidays to reiterate how awesome we're supposed to be.

 

[Thaliur]

I've wondered this before. I also wonder how World War 2 and the Holocaust are covered in Germany.

I asked, it's so touchy there they don't mention it more than in passing, they won't go into a 40 hour section of how fucking horrible their country was 70 years ago.

I wish you were right...
From sixth grade on, that was pretty much our only topic in history classes, dropping almost all the interesting events in German and European history.

 

[Danny91]

...as a largely irrelevant side note, Ranorak, Apartheid is an Afrikaans word, with a history linked to South Africa, rather than any Dutch history

 

[hawkeye52]

I've wondered this before. I also wonder how World War 2 and the Holocaust are covered in Germany.

Used to be not at all, until student campaigned in the 90's to have it taught to them, they deserved to know.
Now if only England could own up to its mistakes... It'd be nice to have work houses taught to us in a more comprehensive manner... rather than...

pic snip

we do cover it now in a basic manner in year 9 i believe when we do the industrial revolution (which was boring as hell especially when we did about how it covered agriculture)

We don't do any of the American independence war we do cover a small amount of the civil war though when we are doing about American civil rights and the slave trade (the south saying they want to keep it because its the cheapest form of labour and the north saying they want to abolish it so they could draw more troops to their cause etc). We eventually do the civil rights marches and about Martin Luther King

We also cover the attrocities committed against native Americans and also about the general manifest destiny feeling the Americans around that time had and unfortunately about farming techniques and specialised tools they used to use to farm that particular area. That was the only essay ever where i managed to achieve an A by talking about the different types of grain coming from different parts of the world and cross breeding for maximum effect. The hardy Russian red wheat to be mixed with the bountiful european ones.

We also do the Palistinian-Israeli wars and foreign involvements within those and the proxy wars surrounding it.

So in otherwords no we don't cover the interesting parts of American history aside from the Palistian-Israeli crisis. Maybe its just me but i don't find civil rights and agriculture to be that interesting

 

[Xanian]

Do you learn about the English War of Independence over in the states? I think not

(Parliament vs King Charles for those who were wondering, with Oliver Cromwell becoming England's first Prime Minister)

Ex-colonies are generally not taught presumably because it was a loss. We did, however, get to learn about all the wars against communism that the yanks failed at (Korea and Vietnam) and the road to WW2, and both of the world wars themselves. Actually come to think of it, anything that happened before the 20th century seems to only be covered in primary school .....

EDIT: Replace "war of independence" with "civil war". Same principal though, the outcome of the civil affected England just as much as the American War of Independence affected the States. Also ignore what I said about Cromwell beign the first prime minister, got my facts a little wrong (got taught this over 10 years ago >.>)

Actually, YES! In quite a bit of detail! We spent several chapters on it and Oliver Cromwell's brief commonwealth! We also spent a lot of time on the War of Roses, the Thirty Years was, the Signing of the Magna Carta...etc. Mostly because they are considered to have helped shape our ideas and thinking as a nation.

Also, funny thing, the way Korea is taught, we consider it a UN engagement led by the Americans. Yes, we probably used it as a pawn to strike at Red China, but it isn't considered a loss because South Korea was restored to its original size at about the 38th parallel, meaning that the other side didn't win.

Vietnam is still a pisser, though.

 

[Akirai]

Imperialism and colonization is a huge part of British history, and it only makes sense that they would educate students about how Great Britain took control of the world, and how it eventually lost it.

Really, I'm wondering how the American War for Independence is taught in the US if you sincerely believe it was such a deciding point with regards to imperialism and colonization. The justification grounds for imperialism shifted often, but it was justified and continued up until the mid 20th century and to a certain point still today. It was much more important in establishing and re-affirming the people's right to representation and the importance of the rule of law.

 

[Tentickles]

I honestly think that the best way to learn about something is to look it up yourself.

I remember in school... I suddenly had a thought as to what they were teaching and the fact my school never touched Africa, Russia, the Orient, the Middle East... It goes on.

After high school I spent years learning what I wanted on the internet and I wholly believe that the US school system is a pile of shit!

My high school was and is one of the top 10 high schools in the US as well.

If children have a passion for learning they will eventually find out what they want to know.

 

[cozitmatchesyoureyes]

I was taught history in Scotland up until a higher level (A-level equivalent)

We were taught a lot about the stone age, bronze age, a little about the iron age, the Roman conquest and empire, the Tudors, the Victorians, pre World War I colonisations (Mainly Africa and the far East), and the colonisation of the West Indies and America was brushed upon as being a part of Spains history. We never touched upon American history truly until about The Declaration of Independence up until just after Martin Luther King was shot. Also touched upon the Lincoln years, but that was mainly the outcome and the years of oppression afterwards and the assassination of Lincoln.

The part we concentrate most on is British history between 1800 to about 1950. The industrial revolution, Colonial Wars, World War I and II the events leading to both world wars (The assassination of Franz Ferdinand, Nazisms grip, Night of the Long Knives, etc.), Hitlers rise to power from his days in World War I and Britain after World War II (The creation of the NHS, council housing, etc.)

There's my two cents. To be honest, I loved learning about the events leading to both world wars more than actually learning about the battles in the wars themselves. Some of the things I was taught has stuck with me four years on, because I couldn't believe some of the things actually happened. Especially Battle of the Somme, Night of the Long Knives, and Franz Ferdinands assassination.

 

[mbug]

Not sure about UK but in Australia its not touched on at all. I did modern history in my final years of high school and its not really touched on at all. Vietnam war and such we get taught but nothing about America. No one i know really knows much about American history either (which is shocking i know and it makes a lot of the people i know sound rather stupid now i think about it...) in that Katy Perry Fireworks she mentions the 4th of July, i had a friend asked me what the 4th of july was and another asked me why it was so important to americans. I guess its like how i've never heard anyone from outside of australia ever really talk about australian history =/

 

[honestdiscussioner]

Typical American arrogance to assume it's taught at all.

Umm...not really. It was sort of a big deal. To actually go against a major power and win wasn't really all that common of an occurance. It also seems like it's be something of an important thing to learn about considering that a lot of people consider it to be the turning point in colonialization and whatnot. Not to mention the fact that we fought the British again not a whole hell of a lot later in the War of 1812. It's a legitimate question.

Nah, I'm with Anearion. How dare we assume that a country would teach its students about one of its own wars. It's not like we teach about Vietnam . . . oh . . wait. Nevermind.

 

[Rainforce]

I've wondered this before. I also wonder how World War 2 and the Holocaust are covered in Germany.

It's covered pretty well, actually. We have zero patriotism, so it's no problem to blame the past government

 

[Fledge]

It has never been taught to us.

 

[Gustavo S. Buschle]

Typical American arrogance to assume it's taught at all.

We teach the Magna Carta, John Locke, the Bill of Rights.

America is the most important country in the world. It would be remiss not to touch on its founding, especially when that event had ramifications that utterly remade Europe and South America.

Watch that black kettle there.

America WAS the most important country. Not saying it's not important anymore, just that there are much more important countries than America.

 

[Withard]

And your trying to

Typical American arrogance to assume it's taught at all.

We teach the Magna Carta, John Locke, the Bill of Rights.

America is the most important country in the world. It would be remiss not to touch on its founding, especially when that event had ramifications that utterly remade Europe and South America.

Watch that black kettle there.

America WAS the most important country. Not saying it's not important anymore, just that there are much more important countries than America.

Sorry Maturin but that was hilarious. People bash you for wearing the horse blinkers.

 

[maturin]

Typical American arrogance to assume it's taught at all.

We teach the Magna Carta, John Locke, the Bill of Rights.

America is the most important country in the world. It would be remiss not to touch on its founding, especially when that event had ramifications that utterly remade Europe and South America.

Watch that black kettle there.

America WAS the most important country. Not saying it's not important anymore, just that there are much more important countries than America.

Name them?

 

[maturin]

We teach the Magna Carta, John Locke, the Bill of Rights.

America is a more important country than Britain. It's the most important country in the world. It would be remiss not to touch on its founding, especially when that event had ramifications that utterly remade Europe and South America.

Watch that black kettle there.

And that is why people call Americans arrogant. I believe we have a great country, but are we the only ones? Plain and simple, no.

Uh, did I call the US the "only country" or the "only great country."

You probably will never hear me call the US a great country. Or the freest, bestest nation on God's green Earth, or unique or a shining beacon or all that other stuff politicians have to spout to get elected.

But logically speaking, America is the most important country in the world. It is the richest and most powerful economically, militarily, culturally and diplomatically. You may want to dispute the utility of a 'most important' label altogether, and I was trying to push some buttons there, but it would be bizarre to suggest any other state for that title.

 

[snappydog]

I've never been taught it in school, college, anything really.

 

[Alar]

I must have learned about Coronado SIX TIMES.

One would think you would have been able to 'test' out of those classes and take something else... or have a break period.

Nope. Each state had minimal requirements, and none had subject-specialized testing classes. You took general placement tests when you arrived in a new district, but these rarely covered more than the basics. In particular, California and Arizona used different standards, so most of my California credits were considered worthless.

History, ironically, seemed to be one of those things no one trusted anyone else to teach correctly, so it was rarely tested for at all. Instead it was just re-taught, over and over.

Insofar as European history, I actually learned a lot more than most folks in this thread seem to have gotten. World War One, for example, went deep into the original causes, paying particular attention to the Byzantine "secret pacts" between nations which effectively made widespread war inevitable once bullets started flying. The bloody cost was also hammered home, with pictures of body-strewn battlefields and examinations of million-man death counts.

In fact, there was even a little bit of guilt associated with the idea that we ourselves "only" lost about 106,000 dead. Similar treatments were given to our own Civil War and the Second World War (though there, we did indeed only pick up with Pearl Harbor and go from there).

I remember covering a good deal of that in my Western Civilization class. It was pretty interesting stuff.

I can't say if I liked it or my Great Plains history class better. Ah well!

The American history class I took in the Fall for my Associate's degree was much more interesting, but that had more to do with the teacher than the subject. He was willing to go on tangents and answer questions about the area (or just the time period), and was quite enthusiastic about the subject he was teaching. This can make a world of difference, in my opinion.

I had already learned at least half of what he was teaching, but he made me listen to what he had to say.