Mr. Baker, No offense intended, sir, but you really need to brush up on History. David McCullough's book, JOHN ADAMS is a light, well researched book that will give you first hand knowledge of the Revolution and how the folks felt. Just the most recent of hundreds of books. They were/had been/ and thought they would be forever proud ENGLISHMEN/WOMEN. There was regular business/transportation/communication/visitation with England. Much to much to get into on this List. Regards, Margaret Driskill mdriskill@att.net
Dear Ms Driskill, Perhaps you refer to those who lived in New England. One needs a broader perspective. What about those who lived further inland, who established farms or small businesses to support the smaller outlying settlements? What about those who did not arrive from England, coming instead from Germany, Ireland, Wales, France, and elsewhere? What about those who spoke no English? Do you know of any Germans who wished to be proud Englishmen? Irish? Welsh? French? I think not! It would not seem likely (or even normal), that after 100 years of farming, after 3 generations of family, that those who were successful, of any descent, would feel less than totally independent! Only independent personalities would have emigrated to the colonies, from any country, unless they were forced. Those who came as children, inherited the independent spirit of their elders. One does not make a journey of thousands of miles, to fawn at the feet of royal pretense. I have not read the book to which you refer; and my comments are based on how I would feel, if this were my situation, and from my observations of others during my lifetime. There are, to my knowledge, no writings left by my ancient relatives, to indicate their opinions during this period. I would accept nothing less; as others here have indicated, 1/3rd of the population was with England, 1/3rd was for independence, and 1/3rd just wanted to get on with it. My guess would be that as one moved further inland, and had less contact with city folk, especially those in the Boston / Philadelphia / Washington area, the more removed, and the more independent, they would feel. After all, they were not subsidized, there was no safety net of any kind; so, if they could survive, and support a family, and their family, and their family ..well, this would have to be the making of a very strong, independent group of people, who really needed no one else to survive. You do not suddenly present yourself on the doorstep of such a person, stating that they are to be taxed, to support the losses of a foreign power, as the result of a costly foreign war, without a fight. Not at my house! The English further aggravated this situation by being so very open in their criticism of the scruffy dress, poor eating habits, and the less than elegant housing of the colonists. They were arrogant and rude! The surnames of my ancestors, from whom Im directly descended (there are many indirect connections) are: Royce, Rogers, Hall, Painter, and Trotter. Having met three of my great grandfathers, it can truthfully be said they were a difficult, independent, opinionated lot, not an easy audience. If their great grandfathers were anything like them, eventual independence was inevitable. Had we not won when we did, the revolution would have been Englands Vietnam! Respectfully, James Edward Baker Margaret Driskill wrote: > Mr. Baker, > > No offense intended, sir, but you really need to brush up on History. David McCullough's book, JOHN ADAMS is a light, well researched book that will give you first hand knowledge of the Revolution and how the folks felt. Just the most recent of hundreds of books. > > They were/had been/ and thought they would be forever proud ENGLISHMEN/WOMEN. There was regular business/transportation/communication/visitation with England. Much to much to get into on this List. > > Regards, > Margaret Driskill > mdriskill@att.net > > ==== AMERICAN-REVOLUTION Mailing List ==== > > ============================== > To join Ancestry.com and access our 1.2 billion online genealogy records, go to: > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=571&sourceid=1237