How much do you know about your country's history?

[TMAN10112]

I've been taking a class on the american revolution since the start of the school year and I realised that most americans know barely anything about the formation of the US, with a huge number of missconceptions about the revolution and people in it. Since there are more common misconceptions about the war then I could list, I was wondering how much esapist know about their country's history, the formation of it to be specific. feel free to ask any questions about the american revolution, I can answer pretty much all of them.

p.s. please do not rank on either side without a supporting(and accurate) argument, or you will only come across as ignorent.

 

[RedDiablo]

I think that South Korea was established in 1948, in August or something. And the Korean Empire began on October 2333 B.C.

 

[CoverYourHead]

I think I know enough of America's history, the misconceptions of the revolutionary war (and how we would have been screwed had it not been for the French and their awesome navy). So I think I know a decent amount, I'm not a pro or anything though.

 

[Outlaw Torn]

I know that my country owned 25% of the world at one point the lost the bloody lot for some reason and now everyone craves dissapointment, accepting how utterly useless we have become =) Plus at one point we were ruled by the French, that has to be a low point for any country.

Good old England.

 

[Ultrajoe]

I live in Australia. While i love this country dearly, we have enough history that even the most absent-minded student learns all of it due to the fact that there is... very little.

So yes, i know a lot about this countries history. It's not hard.

 

[Dubiousduke]

I think it's important to know as much history as possible, especially about your own country. Ignorance of that is a lack of respect.

 

[TMAN10112]

I've been taking a class on the american revolution since the start of the school year and I realised that most americans know barely anything about the formation of the US, with a huge number of missconceptions about the revolution and people in it. Since there are more common misconceptions about the war then I could list, I was wondering how much esapist know about their country's history, the formation of it to be specific. feel free to ask any questions about the american revolution, I can answer pretty much all of them.

p.s. please do not rank on either side without a supporting(and accurate) argument, or you will only come across as ignorent.

Agreed, I'm taking U.S history right now, so I'm finding out about many things that are normally misconstrued.

I'm glad to see there are some people who know that the revolution didn't go like this:
http://www.adultswim.com/video/?episodeID=8a25c39215b8f3910115b9008a160025

 

[Aardvark]

I think that South Korea was established in 1948, in August or something. And the Korean Empire began on October 2333 B.C.

Was October even invented in 2333 B.C.?

I know that 200 odd years ago, England shipped their best and brightest down here, leaving the scum back home, rotting in miserable filth and eternal drizzle. At some point, we discovered Vegemite, turned Cricket into an art form and won WW3... the invisible war. Then the rest of the world started charging us through the arse for videogames, which we can't buy anyway, as the luddites running the place seem to think that games are the source of all that is evil in the world. So all we can do is sit back and enjoy the good meat, good beer and cleanish air, safe in the knowledge that any incoming ICBMs with nuclear warheads will take longer to hit us than anyone else on Earth.

 

[cleverlymadeup]

I've been taking a class on the american revolution since the start of the school year and I realised that most americans know barely anything about the formation of the US, with a huge number of missconceptions about the revolution and people in it. Since there are more common misconceptions about the war then I could list, I was wondering how much esapist know about their country's history, the formation of it to be specific. feel free to ask any questions about the american revolution, I can answer pretty much all of them.

p.s. please do not rank on either side without a supporting(and accurate) argument, or you will only come across as ignorent.

Agreed, I'm taking U.S history right now, so I'm finding out about many things that are normally misconstrued.

there's probly even more to it, that's not in the history books either or at least the ones you read in high school and college. tho the Simpsons' Stone cutter episode hints at it a bit

as for me i know a lot of my country's history and also know a bunch about american history, including stuff that so called "history buffs" don't even know

 

[Zykon TheLich]

Plus at one point we were ruled by the French, that has to be a low point for any country.

Whoa there, hold your horses...the Normans, not the French. Subtle difference, but it's there.

 

[Rajin Cajun]

Plus at one point we were ruled by the French, that has to be a low point for any country.

Whoa there, hold your horses...the Normans, not the French. Subtle difference, but it's there.

The Normans were Vikings don't make then into sissy Frenchmen.

 

[darkless]

Well for me thats a tougher question to ask i'm irish and i think every country in the world has taken us over at some point only to be driven out by revolution, but if history is to believed then the first major leadership and the establishment of the 5 provinces leinster connacht, munster, ulster and meath (which isnt a province anymore) was back in the early medival times and since then as i said every major power has had a go at us.

But yeah Ireland has been ireland with its own rule and everything since about 800bc.

 

[Vek]

I'm a big history buff (once considered getting a PhD. in history and becoming a history professor). So yeah, I know a lot of my nation's history. Not as much as I could wish, but a lot.

 

[medievalguy]

Was October even invented in 2333 B.C.?

Nope, October was invented by the Romans (Octo, 8 in latin) and was originally the 8th month in the year until the Julian calendar came around in 46 BCE and shanked it.

i'm irish

Congrats, you can claim that your countrymen saved the majority of the great Greek and Roman works of literature and philosophy. Irish monks in the "dark ages" copied every manuscript they could get their hands on, and if it weren't for them, we might not have the works of Ovid, Plato, or Epicurus. ^_^

I know a good deal of the United State's history, I took the Advanced Placement exam in highschool and got a 4 out 5, yet I know more European history. US history is ok and all, but there is only about 400 years of it. :-( I think European history is way cooler and so I went and got a degree in it in college. (ok, i'm a year away from it, but w/e)

Did you know that the first fight the pilgrims had when they arrived in the new world was over beer? Yep, beer. The sailors on the ship didn't have enough to give to them AND make it back to England, so one of the first things they did was set up a still and brew some. They won't teach you that in highschool....

 

[SimuLord]

I grew up in Boston, so American history was a pretty lively subject---lots of field trips to places like Plimoth Plantation, the Lowell Museum, and the Freedom Trail/Old North Church/etc. My fifth grade class even took a trip to the Massachusetts State House and watched the state legislature in session (those of us who stayed awake, anyway). Since my state rep was very active in the schools lending his time and effort, most of the class watched Mr. Tarr and however he voted, we all decided that was the way everyone else should have because Mr. Tarr was such a great guy, how could all those other people disagree with him (I don't remember what the vote was about, only that our guy voted for it but it didn't pass).

 

[JakalMc]

I live in Australia. While i love this country dearly, we have enough history that even the most absent-minded student learns all of it due to the fact that there is... very little.

So yes, i know a lot about this countries history. It's not hard.

Too right, mate. I just finished Year 12 in which I studied Aussie History.
Our big assessment at the end of the year was an individual essay where we got to choose our own topic (related to Aussie History).
Let me tell ya...there wasn't a lot to pick from.

I ended up doing the Eureka Stockade - our only armed up-rising. Interesting stuff.

 

[mark_n_b]

Louis Riel's righteous military action is an interesting subject too. Trudeau is six shades of awesome, and the French / English history within a unified border is a sometimes frustrating but constantly entertaining set of encounters. The fact that every single time there has been a U.S. military incursion into Canada we totally won (sorry about the White house that one time though, that was sour grapes)

I couldn't name every Prime Minister in order or anything, but knowing and appreciating the history of one's nation is a part of patriotism, if you love your country and your culture, you should know your roots to explain why.

I mean seriously, Americans are considered one of the most patriotically demonstrative groups on the planet. How could you be after eight years of W ending in a financial goof that is taking down the global economy? The answer is the proud history.

 

[Outlaw Torn]

The Normans were Vikings don't make then into sissy Frenchmen.

They weren't Vikings, they were descended from Vikings but corrupted along the way by smelliness, hairy women and running away.

So all we can do is sit back and enjoy the good meat, good beer and cleanish air, safe in the knowledge that any incoming ICBMs with nuclear warheads will take longer to hit us than anyone else on Earth.

Assuming New Zealand or Taz aren't the ones firing them. Those Tasmanian Devils have been eyeing your island up for ages.

 

[Crystal Cuckoo]

I live in Australia. While i love this country dearly, we have enough history that even the most absent-minded student learns all of it due to the fact that there is... very little.

So yes, i know a lot about this countries history. It's not hard.

So, so true.
In comparison to other countries, Australia has done very little that can be considered noteworthy. The History School Certificate was so dreary...