History is Sometimes Not...

[Sukerkin]

... all that a people would wish it to be. I have long tried to get across certain salient facts about the American revolutionary war and it is nice to see someone else do the legwork for a change .

http://www.cracked.com/article_20306_5-myths-about-revolutionary-war-everyone-believes.html

 

[Drasken]

History is written by the victors and only the naive and easily manipulated believe everything they're told.

 

[billc]

Unless you find it on the internet...then you can believe it completely...

 

[Sukerkin]

It's a lot easier to link to the web than to mail you my library :lol:. And you've got room to talk you cheeky so-and-so .

I know it is no guarantee of accuracy but let's both hold up a mirror and look at ourselves - which one of us sees a qualified museum professional looking back at them? All I mean by that is that, at one time in my life, the study of history (with particular emphasis on material culture) was my job, so I am bound to have a bit more of an affinity for things that touch on matters of the past.

As it stands, it was a nice little condensation of interesting historical snippets that I thought might be a little thought provoking; most particularly the first item, which is indeed something I've tried to get across a few times here.

 

[punisher73]

Ummmm, I can only talk about my history classes taught in public schools, but everything on there was the way it was taught to me. I have heard the myths before, but that wasn't what was taught.

In fact, now in school, the kids learn very little about this war and spend more time on more PC topics.

 

[Instructor]

I have the honor and privelege to spend my days at Yorktown Battlefield. I work at the Coast Guard Station built at the battlefield. The French contributions to our freedom are not downplayed here. Without them we would not have been able to seize victory as rapidly as we did, if at all.

As an American I've always wondered what the animosity is towards the French. They are an ally and have been one since the beginning.

I for one, love my country and appreciate the French both past and present for helping us to make it our own.

 

[granfire]

I have the honor and privelege to spend my days at Yorktown Battlefield. I work at the Coast Guard Station built at the battlefield. The French contributions to our freedom are not downplayed here. Without them we would not have been able to seize victory as rapidly as we did, if at all.

As an American I've always wondered what the animosity is towards the French. They are an ally and have been one since the beginning.

I for one, love my country and appreciate the French both past and present for helping us to make it our own.

The Royal Deux Ponts were German though

 

[pgsmith]

As an American I've always wondered what the animosity is towards the French. They are an ally and have been one since the beginning.

Absolutely! Doesn't make them any less irritating though.

 

[Sukerkin]

:chuckles in the way that only an Englishman can about such a comment:

 

[Big Don]

I do not get my news from comedian Jon Stewart nor my history lessons from a humor website...

 

[Sukerkin]

:sigh: trust me - it's relatively accurate on this. If you don't want to listen and maybe learn something you didn't know then that's fine.

 

[jks9199]

I do not get my news from comedian Jon Stewart nor my history lessons from a humor website...

While Cracked is certainly not the first place I'd go to for scholarly research... On stuff like this, they're usually decent, if full of hyperbole.

5. The Revolutionary war was between the British & the Colonists... Well, sort of. But the French and Spanish played a big role in keeping the might of the British Empire occupied. I think there's a pretty good argument that it was more a tax revolt than any idealistic demand for liberty from an oppressive government. (Hint: read the Declaration of Independence....)

4. Molly Pitcher... I can't say for sure here, but the story was awfully unlikely given the historical role of women to the military at the time. Doesn't mean no women camp followers ever took up arms...

3. Guerrilla tactics... Funny, I've been to quite a few Revolutionary War battlefields. Most of the battles seem to have featured pretty traditional set piece battles and tactics. Not really surprising, when you consider that most of the Colonial officers and generals got there by way of experience under the British military commands in the French & Indian wars or the like.

2. Loyalists? Yep. Lots of them. They just lost.

1. Defeated the greatest army? Yes & no. See above. Probably better summed up by saying that the Colonists, aided by the French, made it impractical and a pain to continue to fight, or to devote enough forces and effort to keep 'em in hand. Especially in an era that meant several months to send troops across the Atlantic...

 

[elder999]

As someone who grew up where a great deal of the events in question took place, and learned of them not as "The Revolutionary War," but "The History of New York," and, more importantly as part of "the history of the Cuffee family," I've gotta say that what Mark-and Cracked have posted is morstly correct, and-sorry, Mark-mostly what I learned in school. I think that Americans don't know otherwise is also a sort of myth,.....just sayin'...:lol:

 

[Sukerkin]

Thanks for that, Elder - that's a good thing to hear.

Sometimes the impression I've garnered a few times on here, when I've been attempting to explore the context of the War of Independence, has been that 'myth' has erased 'history'. So, as someone who still thinks that a knowledge of history has utility (especially for decision makers), I am extremely happy that history is being taught with some thoroughness after all.

 

[Sukerkin]

I do not get my news from comedian Jon Stewart nor my history lessons from a humor website...

That would usually be very wise, Don, I do agree. I also realise that my earlier reply in post #11 sounds rather sharper than I meant it - it was typed in a few seconds between battles in LOTRO and was not phrased very well.

 

[punisher73]

Thanks for that, Elder - that's a good thing to hear.

Sometimes the impression I've garnered a few times on here, when I've been attempting to explore the context of the War of Independence, has been that 'myth' has erased 'history'. So, as someone who still thinks that a knowledge of history has utility (especially for decision makers), I am extremely happy that history is being taught with some thoroughness after all.

If you really want to get us Yanks riled up, ask 'em what the "Civil War" (War of Northern Aggression) was really fought about! :argue:

 

[Sukerkin]

:lol: Aye, I have indeed seen a few skirmishes leading to pitched battles on these pages about that one :cowers:.

 

[elder999]

If you really want to get us Yanks riled up, ask 'em what the "Civil War" (War of Northern Aggression) was really fought about! :argue:

Y'mean War of Southern Treason, there, dontcha? :lfao:

 

[granfire]

Y'mean War of Southern Treason, there, dontcha? :lfao:

:duh:



Get it right! It's the War of Northern Aggression!

:slapfight:

 

[jks9199]

Please, Gentlemen... It was the Late Unpleasantness.