Happy birthday America: 250 years

Another thing that makes no sense to me.

What is this "independence" stuff about exactly?

Most of what is current day USA back in 1776 was still under the French and Spanish crowns. Or controlled by Native Americans. All of the Western USA, Midwest, Texas, Florida etc. Alaska was still inhabited by Inuits and other Native Americans and the Russians had still not established a presence or a colony.

Only the regions that were under the British crown gained independence from the UK and today that is a fairly small part of the US.

Granted, this part (English speaking and most English settlers) gave birth to the US as we know it but still....Most of the territory came much later and for instance you had pockets of Spanish descendants (the real cowboys) in places like New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, California 100-150 years before the first Brits settled in Virginia.

Davey Crockett said:
Devil's Night in Detroit....

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When I think about Detroit and music, Motown springs to mind.
 
_Arabia_ said:
Another thing that makes no sense to me.

What is this "independence" stuff about exactly?

Most of what is current day USA back in 1776 was still under the French and Spanish crowns. Or controlled by Native Americans. All of the Western USA, Midwest, Texas, Florida etc. Alaska was still inhabited by Inuits and other Native Americans and the Russians had still not established a presence or a colony.

Only the regions that were under the British crown gained independence from the UK and today that is a fairly small part of the US.
Click to expand...
13 colonies to be precise, hence the 13 stripes on their flag. Everyone starts somewhere and expulsion of the British was their starting point on the road to nationhood and sovereignty.
 
_Arabia_ said:
When I think about Detroit and music, Motown springs to mind.
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John Lee Hooker developed his iconic, driving "boogie" blues style while living and working in Detroit. Moving to the Motor City in 1943, he spent years performing in the Black Bottom neighborhood before recording his 1948 hit "Boogie Chillen" at United Sound Systems. [1, 2, 3]

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Master Chief said:
13 colonies to be precise, hence the 13 stripes on their flag. Everyone starts somewhere and expulsion of the British was their starting point on the road to nationhood and sovereignty.
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I know. You have to create your nationhood and national story/identity from somewhere and that place will naturally have the most influence afterwards. Or in the "creation story" of said country so to say.

Hence why the US, in terms of language (English), judicial system (common law = UK), parliamentary system (copied from the UK by large), cuisine (most of the old traditional US recipes are UK variants), even their main sports are UK variants (American "football" = rugby) etc.

But it is interesting that most Americans are no longer of English ancestry and that the vast majority of the contemporary US territory was never under the British crown at any point in history.

Given the change of demographics, I believe that only the language, judicial system, traditional holidays and traditional dishes derived from the Brits will remain. Doubtful that you can even find a single American with "pure" English lineage who has been in the US for more than 3-4 generations.

Of course this melting pot is part of the beauty and success of the US in many ways.

Just interesting how you can create and form your own creation story depending on what you want to focus on.
 
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KingQamaR said:
We shall always remember the loyalists 👑 🇬🇧
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"The Alternative of Williamsburg" – a 1775 British print by Phillip Dawe showing Loyalists being forced to sign either the associations or Resolutions drawn up in Williamsburg in August 1774. The note on gibbet at upper right reads: "A Cure for the Refractory"—a bagful of feathers and a cask of tar.

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A question for our American friends here. Are there any different ways of celebrating 4th of July depending on the state? Any particular rituals or special dishes? The US is such a huge country that many states could be countries of their own in terms of their uniqueness.

Or has everything now become generic and the same? Meaning hot dogs (lol), fireworks and the rest?

I mean is it all mostly the same from Alabama, to Wyoming, to Washington state to Vermont and Hawaii?
 
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_Arabia_ said:
A question for our American friends here. Are there any different ways of celebrating 4th of July depending on the state? Any particular rituals or special dishes? The US is such a huge country that many states could be countries of their own in terms of their uniqueness.

Or has everything now become generic and the same? Meaning hot dogs (lol), fireworks and the rest?

I mean is it all mostly the same from Alabama, to Wyoming, to Washington state to Vermont and Hawaii?
Click to expand...
In SoCal it's hamburgers over the grill or carne asada if you have mix family. Southern states, especially Texas, does BBQ/grilling on a whole different level.
 
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