I read Marjie's comments re the reasons the British people came to America. One of the basic reasons was they came for a better life. They escaped the poverty of England and Wales to come to America. Whether it was better here or not, they could at least own a piece of land, something they couldn't do there. If the American Revolution hadn't happened when it did, it would have happened eventually. It was like a cork in a bottle, just about ready to pop. As for dominion status, I don't think it would have worked. I don't think the USA would have stood for it. Annie .

At 11:28 PM 9/30/2001 -0400, you wrote: >As for dominion status, I don't think it would have worked. I don't >think the USA would have stood for it. Under Geo. I and his policy of "salutary neglect", no one was seriously advocating independence. Geo. III put an end to "salutary neglect" and after several actions/reactions, matters escalated to include consideration of a bid for independence. After that, the cat was out of the bag. If the terms of the *last* peace overtures made by Britain had been made *early* in the conflict, is it not likely they would have been accepted? Did they not offer essentially everything the colonies wanted except independence (which early on they didn't want anyway)? The colonies truly preferred buying British goods. Some of their productive efforts only existed because they were subsidized by Britain (indigo production, for one). I'm not sure that I know for sure what being a dominion entailed, but it would appear to me that it would have been far less restrictive than the "salutary neglect" arrangement (under which the colonies seemed fairly content). John Robertson

Individual's came to the new world for a better life, anything was better than what they were forced to endure. The persecution and oppression was horrific. Although it was Hollywood's version, the movie William Wallace was quite true in what individual's endured. Disemboweling and castration where commonplace for the men and women were impelled onto all types of things. Much of this was done by the churches supposedly in the name of GOD. They toiled for years without being allowed to keep any property, since taxes were imposed at such high rates it was impossible to pay, so property was seized. The monarchs used the money to pay for crusades and wars. I don't think there is anyone who has not seen pictures of the horrible torture chambers in some of the old castles and etc. The cruelty of punishments doled out for minor offenses in some cases severe beatings and death. Patrick Henry (1st generation American) was of Scottish descent and first Governor of Virginia in 1776 is credited for being responsible for our 1789-90 Bill of Rights which we have and its precious freedoms of speech and religion which it contains. He was also known as the father of the Revolutionary War. A pioneer of religious freedom in Virginia and 1763, 13 years before the Declaration of Independence, Henry attacked England's Church of England in a law suit in Virginia and effectively won it in the famous "Parson's Cause" suit. In the 1760's Patrick Henry also defended in court the Virginia Baptist and other Protestant ministers who had been practicing their profession, which England's Governor declared unlawful and had them arrested. England said the Anglican Church was its "Established" church and only Anglicans could practice without its special permission in Virginia. Thirteen year later, in 1776, Patrick Henry introduced the first religious freedom clause in the Virginia Constitution, Section 15, when he became its first Governor in July 1776, according to his biographer. This is why our forefathers wrote the articles into our Constitution, they wanted a separation of church and state. One of the reasons there is not prayer in schools. Patti