Happy Birthday, America!

[Lord Herman]

Today is the fourth of july, and if I read the birthday calendar right, that means it's the 233rd birthday of the United States of America! Congratulations, America! :smallsmile:

Now, where's the cake?

[Renegade Paladin]

The 1337 words that changed history. (http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/declaration_transcript.html)

And yes, the Declaration is in fact 1337, in both the Netspeak and numerical senses. :smallbiggrin:

[Ichneumon]

Congratulations, big country on the continent on the other side of the ocean!

[J.B. Ganning]

I'd like to see this as the cakes design base:
http://rlv.zcache.com/bill_the_butcher_cutting_poster-p228388129780869135qzz0_400.jpg

Just because I'm watching Gangs of New York right now doesn't mean that's influencing my decision here.

[Coidzor]

Someone said I looked like that guy once...

And I've already had a slice of peanut butter cheesecake to get this day started right. :smallcool:

[Flame of Anor]

Yay!
*blows noisemaker*
*dresses up in 18th-century costume*

[Ashen Lilies]

The 1337 words that changed history. (http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/declaration_transcript.html)

And yes, the Declaration is in fact 1337, in both the Netspeak and numerical senses. :smallbiggrin:

Srsly? That is probably the most awesome coincidence ever! :smallbiggrin:

[Mitth'raw'nuruo]

If you want to get picky, the birthday is not until September 3, 1783; when the peace treaty was signed Paris.

So how is the Revolutionary War presented in schools throughout the Commownwealth?

[Ashen Lilies]

I'm going to hazard a guess and say 'it isn't'.

[raitalin]

It always bothers me a bit that The 4th is referred to as the birth of our nation. The United States as we know it didn't come into existence until March 4, 1789 when the U.S. Constitution came into effect.

Before that we spent 12 years under the footnote-in-history-tastic Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union, the first 5 years of which we were simply a number of independent British colonies in rebellion. From late 1775 to the summer of 1777 the only central government we had was the near-powerless Continental Congress, which mostly got by begging off of the richer colonies (New York and Virginia).

So while I consider March 4th the real "birth of our nation". July 4th is still when we flipped the proverbial bird to Mad King George (who wasn't at all mad yet, and didn't really go all *that* mad) by publishing & adopting (it was actually signed on the 2nd) that other great document The Declaration of Independence.

I'd also like to point out that while our country may *seem* young to Europeans, our Constitution hasn't been re-written since. Most European constitutions were written in the 20th century. Granted, we cheated with that whole "amendment" thing.

Of course, I'm a massive history nerd, so none of this matters to most people.

[billtodamax]

America's young? Pfft. 300 years. We're like a toddler.

[J.B. Ganning]

Of course, I'm a massive history nerd, so none of this matters to most people.

Oim Cawnadian, so yer histowry facts ain't worth nothin'. In other news: I never payed attention to history of the new world, but instead I danced around with Eurasia and Pangaea. Damn their sexy legs.

[randman22222]

Heh, I just copy and pasted the DoI into Word, and did a word count. 1338 words. Of course, I don't know how it counts the beginning, where it says, "IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776." It might count the date strangely.

*Picks up a rock, and walks away talking into it.*

[Ichneumon]

I'm going to hazard a guess and say 'it isn't'.

I live in Europe and most of American History was skipped.

[Mitth'raw'nuruo]

Ichneumon: yeah, I'd believe it, most European history is not taught in America, except were we were involved. Were were you educated?

billtodamax; if people were honest; MOST European countries have not been around for 300 years. Ireland, Scotland, Wales all fell to the British.

France stop existed and legally ended their Empire during WWII. I have trouble thinking that the British would have done the same, I think they would have kept fighting in exile from the other Commonwealth Nations. People forget that the French Empire was a huge chunk of the world.

Germany did not exist as we know it until the end of the 19th Century.

Poland, has ceased to exist throughout history.

So on and so forth.

nearly every government in Europe has completely changed their forms of government.

China can talk s*** on everybody, heck most Asian countries can, the rest of us not to much.


People tend to look as things the way they are has how they have always been, we all have such a short view of history - it is kind of funny when you think about it.

*for the record, this post was not a dig at anybody or any country*

[J.B. Ganning]

If you want to get picky, the birthday is not until September 3, 1783; when the peace treaty was signed Paris.

Oh, I missed this one!

So what you're saying is we could only celebrate its birthday in 1783? Right, where did I put the keys to my Tardis?... damn, they must be in my other pants... of the other me... whom I had made love to... That was an awkward morning.

Anyways, happy birthday America! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDkP2WaEYFE) I didn't get to say that until just now.

[Emperor Ing]

Germany did not exist as we know it until the end of the 19th Century.

psst, typo. You meant 20th century.

And I think the reason us americans believe its July 4th 1776 was because it was the first day WE started recognizing ourselves as the United States of America.

[Ichneumon]

Ichneumon: yeah, I'd believe it, most European history is not taught in America, except were we were involved. Were were you educated?

In the Netherlands.

[raitalin]

Ichneumon: yeah, I'd believe it, most European history is not taught in America, except were we were involved.


Well, to be fair (and I rarely stick up for the way history is generally taught in America) I'd say English history gets a reasonably fair shake in American schools, and the Age of Exploration is covered extensively. Of course this is all in the context of "this is where America comes from".

Africa and Asia might as well be giant holes in the ground for the coverage they get in American classrooms.

[Castaras]

The most I learnt about American history is about Roosevelt, the Chicago Gangsters, and the prohibition laws.

Although other syllabuses might be different.

[Ichneumon]

In fact I don't think we officially covered the civil rights movement either...

[Mitth'raw'nuruo]

The Randomizer: I was referring to the unification of Germany under Otto von Bismarck which happened during the end of the 19th Century (wiki says 1862–1890).

Not the remaking of Germany into something more palatable to the Algo-American (democracy/repubilicanism, less militant, less aggressive diplomacy) world view at the end of the 20th Century. Your probably more correct in looking at the 20th Century as the origin of "modern" Germany then I was looking @ the 19th.

[Jibar]

It's America's Birthday?

http://pbfcomics.com/archive_b/PBF032-Todays_My_Birthday.gif

:tongue:

[Dallas-Dakota]

A little bit about the indepence war thingy, lots about the thirteen states etc and the immigration and ummm, beyond that, I think only some mentioning in the second world war that Americans toghetter with the british and canadians attacked.

But then again, my education is screwed up, so.:smalltongue:

[Mauve Shirt]

American history is SO BORING compared to European history. All US history courses are the Revolution and the Civil war and perhaps reconstruction over and over again for at least 8 years of grade school and it's all very dull until you get to the world wars.
Anyway, happy birthday America!

[St.Sinner]

Happy Fourth of July!

[Ashen Lilies]

American history is SO BORING compared to European history. All US history courses are the Revolution and the Civil war and perhaps reconstruction over and over again for at least 8 years of grade school and it's all very dull until you get to the world wars.
Anyway, happy birthday America!

Heh. For me the World Wars/The Cold War were the reason I stopped taking History after it stopped being compulsory. You do not need 5 years to cover 50 years of European history. Especially after you've spent several years not realizing several centuries of human development and two continents even existed, as far as the History teachers are concerned.

Anyway.
*waves flag*
*realizes he doesn't have flag*
*waves piece of paper with a close approximation of the American Flag scrawled on it with crayon*

[Bonecrusher Doc]

Now let's not have any Whigs v. Tories political debates here...

Happy Independence Day my fellow Americans!

[Mauve Shirt]

Heh. For me the World Wars/The Cold War were the reason I stopped taking History after it stopped being compulsory. You do not need 5 years to cover 50 years of European history. Especially after you've spent several years not realizing several centuries of human development and two continents even existed, as far as the History teachers are concerned.

See I didn't get any 20th century European history til high school, so it's remained interesting for me. I didn't get any earlier European history until my senior year.

[Hannes]

It's America's Birthday?

http://pbfcomics.com/archive_b/PBF032-Todays_My_Birthday.gif

:tongue:

You're an evil man.
Yes, that's him. Trace his IP address and take him down. Damn anti-nationalists..

[Gamerlord]

Hooray! Happy birthday the country I live in!

*Does the happy demonic goblin dance* :smallbiggrin: :smallbiggrin: :smallbiggrin: :smallbiggrin: :smallbiggrin: :smallbiggrin: :smallbiggrin: :smallbiggrin: :smallbiggrin: :smallbiggrin: :smallbiggrin: :smallbiggrin: :smallbiggrin: :smallbiggrin: :smallbiggrin:

[Renegade Paladin]

Heh, I just copy and pasted the DoI into Word, and did a word count. 1338 words. Of course, I don't know how it counts the beginning, where it says, "IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776." It might count the date strangely.

*Picks up a rock, and walks away talking into it.*
The numeral 4 is not a word. :smalltongue:

[Guru]

Yay for birthdays!... and America! :smallbiggrin:

[Lupy]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA <-- Highlight me! :smallbiggrin:

[zeratul]

Ichneumon: yeah, I'd believe it, most European history is not taught in America, except were we were involved. Were were you educated?




In this area of the US at least you spend two years of high school primarily on European history. The course is mandatory and starts with prehistory and goes up until the modern era, much of the course involves Europe although of course Asia, Africa, And too a lesser extent the Americas are covered. There is then a year of American history after the two years of world history.

[raitalin]

American history is SO BORING compared to European history. All US history courses are the Revolution and the Civil war and perhaps reconstruction over and over again for at least 8 years of grade school and it's all very dull until you get to the world wars.
Anyway, happy birthday America!

U.S. History isn't boring, the way U.S. History is taught in U.S. grade schools is boring.

It may seem less eventful than European history because they can gloss over 50 boring years without anyone noticing, and because they brought killing each other to a high art. Those wacky monarchs certainly spice things up as well.

But *tons* of exciting stuff happened in U.S. history, its just not PC enough to put in most text books, especially grade school ones. Largely because it pertains to class or racial warfare. The Carolina Regulators, Shay's Rebellion, the Whiskey Rebellion, the Indian Wars (Pontiac's Rebellion, Tecumseh's War, the Great Sioux War and Geronimo's campaigns especially), the Harper's Ferry Revolt (Brown was considered a brave and eloquent man at the time, don't let anyone tell you he was mad), the Pullman strike, the Haymarket riots, the Colorado Labor Wars, the Homestead Strike, the Molly Maguires, etc. ad infinitum

Anyone who thinks U.S. history is boring seriously needs to read The People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn. Lies my Teacher Told Me by James Loewen is another good one.

[Recaiden]

Happy Independence Day! Because it isn't really its birthday.

Yeah, we learned nothing about Australia or Asia except that parts of Asia were involved in WWII

[DraPrime]

Happy Independence day America! Today we celebrate the proud fact that we are not British. Celebrate by refusing to take part in British things such as cricket, tea, crumpets, and talking funny.

Although you're allowed to do that last one if you're from the south.

[Emperor Ing]

I've lived in literally every part of the united states so i'm allowed to partake in any regional culture I want to.

Again, happy independence day/4th of July to my fellow Americans, and happy 4th of July to everyone who isn't an American. At least you have a good excuse to hold a barbeque. :smalltongue:

[Green Bean]

Happy Birthday America, from your neighbors up north. Sure, you may be a couple hundred years old, but those amber waves of grain and purple mountains are still looking good. :smalltongue:

[KnightDisciple]

Happy Independence Day,America!

[billtodamax]

I've lived in literally every part of the united states so i'm allowed to partake in any regional culture I want to.

Again, happy independence day/4th of July to my fellow Americans, and happy 4th of July to everyone who isn't an American. At least you have a good excuse to hold a barbeque. :smalltongue:

We never need an excuse to hold a barbie. Never.

[Em Blackleaf]

Happy Birthday, America! :smallsmile:

Happy Fireworks! :smalltongue:

[Lord Herman]

So, how was the party? Did America get any good presents this year?

[Mauve Shirt]

No, we're getting Aretha Franklin instead.

[Badgercloak]

HOOAH!! Happy Fourth of JUly Everyone!! :smallbiggrin:

[Gwyn chan 'r Gwyll]

But... I like Arethra Franklin.

Anyways, All we've done so far, up to Grade 9 in Canada is Canadian history. We've gone from the first settlers up to the present day. Next year is Ancient History. Sumer to Rome, I think. Being the history nut I am, I know a little of the history of everywhere, though still very Euro-centric. By Euro I include North Africa and the Middle East, btw.