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I can think of THREE big European contributors that left a lasting contribution to the CULTURE of the United States.
The Early map of the Colonial regions of the North American Atlantic Coast featured three colonies- New England, The New Netherlands and Virginia.
One might think that Great Britain/English is our most obvious influence but I can make the argument that, at BEST, they are #3 or maybe #2. I'll start in reverse ranking:
The Early map of the Colonial regions of the North American Atlantic Coast featured three colonies- New England, The New Netherlands and Virginia.
#3 Great Britain/ English
Obviously Great Britain contributed their language but Americans, over time, rejected other English cultural and governmental influences.
New England was extremely utopian and Hierarchical. Not only was Freedom of Religion...Freedom of Christian Religion was discouraged. You were to be an upper class PURITAN family with an distaste for Catholicism or Anglicanism (Church of England) because, in their minds, the church and had not reformed enough to their reformation utopian ideals.
A strict WASP hierarchy was adhered to and Education prestige was of paramount importance. Hence, the Ivy League Colleges radiating out of Boston/ New England.
Virginia was a start contrast to New England. It was not settled by Utopian minded families but mostly by single men that were either prisoners, indentured servants or just escaping something or seeking agricultural jobs in the New World. It was extremely difficult, for an English man, to raise his stock in the English Hierarchical system.
Americans, acting as an rebellious independent children, slowly rejected almost all of the cultural influences from their "Motherland".
They embraced 'Freedom of religion"
They rejected the Monarchy, replacing it with a President/ Congress/ Senate full of a ton of Cheks and Balances.
They encouraged immigration and promised you can become whatever you want via the American Dream (spoiler. A Dutch attitude, not an English one)
They rejected almost all of the English sports or morphed them into versions of their own, The US was one of the first Countries to receive 'Soccer' (Association Football) but quickly discarded it and merged it with Rugby to create "American Football". they did the same with Cricket, creating Baseball.
#2. Germany/ German
While they did not colonize parts of the United States, their cultural influence is undeniable. They sent over so many that at one point in the late 20th century something like 1/4- 1/3 of ALL Americans were of German descent. they were so prevalent, before WWI, there were actual movements to make German the official language of the United States.
The Germans were NOT city people. They brought a strong, orderly work ethic and made it a priority to be ON TIME...a trait that is still very important to Americans today. Their fall festivals and beer were so influential that many of the early US brewers were created German families.
They also sneakily contributed musical influences. Tejano music, popular in Spanish speaking parts of Texas is German music with Spanish lyrics.
#1. The Netherlands/ Dutch
The attitude behind the whole concept of the Entrepreneurship of the "American Dream" is Dutch. the New Netherlands, centered on New Amsterdam/ New York City, was a weird alien colony sandwiched between the two major English Colonies.
The Dutch, form day one, REQUIRED Freedom of religion.
They preached CAPITALISM over all.
They allowed immigrants, from any country, provided you were here to make a contribution to American New Netherlands.
They abandoned the hierarchical rigid system of the English and allowed anyone to mo0ve up the ladder via hard work...the seedlings for the American Dream.
It is no coincidence that THE ALPHA CITY OF THE UNITED STATES is New York City, a Dutch creation.
The Dutch were also less rigid than the English. Santa Claus was first allowed by the Dutch as the English initially forbade celebration Christmas with Santa Claus.
Also, Dutch words like 'Boss' and 'Cookie' are very much part of out American language today.
Early American Leaders, when drafting our early documents not only modeled themselves after Dutch thought and policies...they essentially did so while delivering a giant F You to the English ways of government.
I'd say Great Britain's influence overall is the greatest on American culture, and especially that of the Virginia colony. But this influence should be broken down and examined via the constituent parts of Great Britain and which parts of America they influenced. For instance, the Scots-Irish (Ulster Scots) had a massive and long-lasting to this day influence on the original frontier of America, Appalachia.
I can think of THREE big European contributors that left a lasting contribution to the CULTURE of the United States.
The Early map of the Colonial regions of the North American Atlantic Coast featured three colonies- New England, The New Netherlands and Virginia.
One might think that Great Britain/English is our most obvious influence but I can make the argument that, at BEST, they are #3 or maybe #2. I'll start in reverse ranking:
The Early map of the Colonial regions of the North American Atlantic Coast featured three colonies- New England, The New Netherlands and Virginia.
#3 Great Britain/ English
Obviously Great Britain contributed their language but Americans, over time, rejected other English cultural and governmental influences.
New England was extremely utopian and Hierarchical. Not only was Freedom of Religion...Freedom of Christian Religion was discouraged. You were to be an upper class PURITAN family with an distaste for Catholicism or Anglicanism (Church of England) because, in their minds, the church and had not reformed enough to their reformation utopian ideals.
A strict WASP hierarchy was adhered to and Education prestige was of paramount importance. Hence, the Ivy League Colleges radiating out of Boston/ New England.
Virginia was a start contrast to New England. It was not settled by Utopian minded families but mostly by single men that were either prisoners, indentured servants or just escaping something or seeking agricultural jobs in the New World. It was extremely difficult, for an English man, to raise his stock in the English Hierarchical system.
Americans, acting as an rebellious independent children, slowly rejected almost all of the cultural influences from their "Motherland".
They embraced 'Freedom of religion"
They rejected the Monarchy, replacing it with a President/ Congress/ Senate full of a ton of Cheks and Balances.
They encouraged immigration and promised you can become whatever you want via the American Dream (spoiler. A Dutch attitude, not an English one)
They rejected almost all of the English sports or morphed them into versions of their own, The US was one of the first Countries to receive 'Soccer' (Association Football) but quickly discarded it and merged it with Rugby to create "American Football". they did the same with Cricket, creating Baseball.
#2. Germany/ German
While they did not colonize parts of the United States, their cultural influence is undeniable. They sent over so many that at one point in the late 20th century something like 1/4- 1/3 of ALL Americans were of German descent. they were so prevalent, before WWI, there were actual movements to make German the official language of the United States.
The Germans were NOT city people. They brought a strong, orderly work ethic and made it a priority to be ON TIME...a trait that is still very important to Americans today. Their fall festivals and beer were so influential that many of the early US brewers were created German families.
They also sneakily contributed musical influences. Tejano music, popular in Spanish speaking parts of Texas is German music with Spanish lyrics.
#1. The Netherlands/ Dutch
The attitude behind the whole concept of the Entrepreneurship of the "American Dream" is Dutch. the New Netherlands, centered on New Amsterdam/ New York City, was a weird alien colony sandwiched between the two major English Colonies.
The Dutch, form day one, REQUIRED Freedom of religion.
They preached CAPITALISM over all.
They allowed immigrants, from any country, provided you were here to make a contribution to American New Netherlands.
They abandoned the hierarchical rigid system of the English and allowed anyone to mo0ve up the ladder via hard work...the seedlings for the American Dream.
It is no coincidence that THE ALPHA CITY OF THE UNITED STATES is New York City, a Dutch creation.
The Dutch were also less rigid than the English. Santa Claus was first allowed by the Dutch as the English initially forbade celebration Christmas with Santa Claus.
Also, Dutch words like 'Boss' and 'Cookie' are very much part of out American language today.
Early American Leaders, when drafting our early documents not only modeled themselves after Dutch thought and policies...they essentially did so while delivering a giant F You to the English ways of government.
Germans "colonized fly over country from PA to Cali Generally follow the Ohio River as it head to Missouri...what is South and East of that was majority mix of English, Scottish, Irish not including the large AA population, then just a straight line to the Pacific. Google "American counties where Germans are the majority". Even in Texas lots of Germans. (Hispanics have changed some of this). It's called the German Belt.
German were also both Urbanists who built many cities and the majority of the farmers. Even in Poland Germans were often the majority is some cities. List of German newspapers, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o..._United_States
I'd say Great Britain's influence overall is the greatest on American culture, and especially that of the Virginia colony. But this influence should be broken down and examined via the constituent parts of Great Britain and which parts of America they influenced. For instance, the Scots-Irish (Ulster Scots) had a massive and long-lasting to this day influence on the original frontier of America, Appalachia.
On our government, laws, courts, from states down to the county Sherriff yes. Relative to overall cultural secondary to Germany.
The biggest is by far English and after Queen Anne, Scotland. Representative govt.; trial by jury and religious toleration (1689) for Protestants and non-Conformists - though not Catholics.
With the exception of Louisiana, all the states use English Common Law as the basis. The principal is stare decisis (Latin for "stand by your decision”; the legal principle that prior court decisions must be used as precedent case law.
Property law in the US is based on English law as William Blackstone, outlined in his Commentaries on the Laws of England. Land ownership is based on English feudal law.
King George III was well aware that he was a constitutional monarch with limited power, dependent on Parliament. He was horrified that King Gustav III of Sweden took absolute power.'
Of course, VA carries this to an extreme. The Mace for the House of Delegates has a crown. The only state legislature which Queen Elizabeth addressed is the VA General Assembly in 2007. What was she thinking as she saw the Mace? Virginia still uses Crown land grants to determine access to property. https://www.flickr.com/photos/baggis/5953993622
The biggest is by far English and after Queen Anne, Scotland. Representative govt.; trial by jury and religious toleration (1689) for Protestants and non-Conformists - though not Catholics.
With the exception of Louisiana, all the states use Common. The principal is stare decisis (Latin for "stand by your decision”; the legal principle that prior court decisions must be used as precedent case law.
King George III was well aware that he was a constitutional monarch with limited power, dependent on Parliament. He was horrified that King Gustav III of Sweden took absolute power.
LOL at the bold. Britain confiscated all of the assets and real estate of the RCC in England.
That was done under Henry VIII long before the settlement in VA. When Henry VIII did it, the Roman Catholic Church was not just a religious entity, but a political and economic power with land. The monasteries owned 1/4 of all the land in England. The nuns, monks and priests were given a pension, they were not left out in the cold by Henry, but their political power was curtailed. Abbots who refused to comply had their monasteries destroyed.
Many of the Founders from VA (Washington, Lee, Randolph &c.) had their ancestors come during the English Civil War; hence with a lesson learned for religious toleration - not perfect, but non-Conformists found safety in VA as did Jews who arrived in the 1600's.
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Originally Posted by webster
The biggest is by far English and after Queen Anne, Scotland. Representative govt.; trial by jury and religious toleration (1689) for Protestants and non-Conformists - though not Catholics.
With the exception of Louisiana, all the states use English Common Law as the basis. The principal is stare decisis (Latin for "stand by your decision”; the legal principle that prior court decisions must be used as precedent case law.
Property law in the US is based on English law as William Blackstone, outlined in his Commentaries on the Laws of England. Land ownership is based on English feudal law.
King George III was well aware that he was a constitutional monarch with limited power, dependent on Parliament. He was horrified that King Gustav III of Sweden took absolute power.'
Of course, VA carries this to an extreme. The Mace for the House of Delegates has a crown. The only state legislature which Queen Elizabeth addressed is the VA General Assembly in 2007. What was she thinking as she saw the Mace? Virginia still uses Crown land grants to determine access to property. https://www.flickr.com/photos/baggis/5953993622
In terms of the UK, I would suggest among the most significant legal influences were Magna Carta and Habeas Corpus, parts of which are enshrined in the US Constitution.
The thinking of men Britons such as William Blackstone, David Hume, John Locke, Edmund Coke, Thomas Paine etc also has an impact on the founding fathers and the US constitutions, legal system and laws/rights.
The Due Process Clause of the Constitution was partly based on common law and on Magna Carta (1215), which had become a foundation of English liberty against arbitrary power wielded by a ruler and which is further enshrined in Habeas corpus in relation to the state's unlawful detention or imprisonment of an individual and the rights of the Courts to determine such matters without interference.
The idea of Separation of Powers inherent in the Constitution was largely inspired by eighteenth century Enlightenment philosophers such as British philopsher John Locke, as well as French philosopher Montesquieu.
The US Bar Council built a monument to Magna Carta ar Runnymede in Surrey in England, close to where the original document was signed, and it's right next to the John F. Kennedy Memorial site.
Last edited by Brave New World; 04-14-2024 at 05:36 PM..
In the structure and habits of everyday life, the cultural influence is unquestionably UK, specifically English and Scotts "Irish" (Ulster).
From 1607 Virginia was settled mostly by young single men, although some wives did accompany their husbands, bc after the disappearance of the Roanoke Colony it was considered dangerous for women and children. Very few of these young men were indentured servants, most were adventurers from middle class families out to seek their fortune.
But in 1619 "the Maids" were brought to Virginia, many of them servant girls from London and southern England who brought their English sensibilities with them.
Also that year the Virginia General Assembly was established based on English political principles, the oldest continuing legislative body in North America.
At that time Virginia was the only English colony and the whole unknown landmass was referred to as Virginia, named in honor of Queen Elizabeth I.
The counties of Virginia reflect our English origins: King George, King William, Prince William, Princess Anne, Amelia, Louisa, Caroline, Hanover, Fairfax, Norfolk, Suffolk, Surr(e)y, Charles City, Isle of Wight, the list goes on.
Virginia was called the Old Dominion by Charles II bc the colony stood firmly with the Monarchy during the civil war, while Massachusetts was sending men to fight with Parliament.
During a tour of Bruton Parish Church in Williamsburg the docent said Virginia was a suburb of London. One branch of my family came from London in the 1650s.
I've been all over the UK and in Germany as well. I have a little German/French heritage but England felt like home, Germany was foreign.
Sure, Germans made their contribution as all ethnic groups have but they've conformed to the English foundation of US culture.
The Christmas tree was brought to England by Prince Albert and from there to the US, not directly from Germany.
UK, and in particular England, was and still is the cultural touchstone of US culture. The Beatles, the Stones, Harry Potter, Mary Poppins, 007, the obsession with the Royal Family, the English influence on our culture is everywhere and too numerous to mention.
And of course the bad side of "German" culture began with the atheist satanic commie 1848's AKA the Forty Eighters. They also went to Brazil, Chile, Belgium, France, Netherlands, Britain, etc. They were the forebears of the most dominant culture in the West today Cultural Marxism. It exists in every institution. It's pure evil.
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