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German was almost THE language of the US at one point
Europeans unfamiliar with American history tend to overstate the colonial importance of the UK over the US as if the US was Australia for example.
I’m not sure it’s that clear cut though. It’s not as if there were a lot of Spanish, Russian or French speaking cities with large populations that were incorporated into the US as places like Montana, Kansas or Nevada were settled, or that Australia’s colonial era (pre-1850) English-Gaelic speaking Anglo-Irish society ever settled, explored and cultivated anything but a very small fraction of Australia.
By way of example, the population of northern Western Australia was essentially Aboriginal until a large influx of Chinese, Malay and Japanese fueled the pearling industry in the late 1800s, large tracts of South Australia were populated essentially by Aboriginals until the arrival of German settlers from the 1850s onwards, and most of the interior of the county was only opened up for commerce after the arrival of camel drivers from central Asia in the second half the 1880s.
the US has made English a global language, plus the US made itself. England left 13 states that later decided to unite and create a common constitution and government, then they expanded out west taking land from the Spanish, the French and the Mexicans, and eventually formed the US.
English was already a global language - why do you think you speak it in the US!!!?
I’m not sure it’s that clear cut though. It’s not as if there were a lot of Spanish, Russian or French speaking cities with large populations that were incorporated into the US as places like Montana, Kansas or Nevada were settled, or that Australia’s colonial era (pre-1850) English-Gaelic speaking Anglo-Irish society ever settled, explored and cultivated anything but a very small fraction of Australia.
By way of example, the population of northern Western Australia was essentially Aboriginal until a large influx of Chinese, Malay and Japanese fueled the pearling industry in the late 1800s, large tracts of South Australia were populated essentially by Aboriginals until the arrival of German settlers from the 1850s onwards, and most of the interior of the county was only opened up for commerce after the arrival of camel drivers from central Asia in the second half the 1880s.
There is a shred of truth to this but the U.S. did have cities (or what would have been considered cities at the time) that were under Spanish or French administration prior to their annexation. Think of Louisiana and New Mexico, etc.
It also had areas with very diverse demographics like Hawaii which still has a strong non-European majority to this day.
In much of the U.S. west of the Appalachians "anglos" were not the original settlers. Obviously there were aboriginal populations in many areas but in addition to Hispanics many areas were originally settled primarily by non-anglophone people from continental Europe.
Louisiana, South Carolina and Mississippi had majority African-American populations at one point.
Of course, the over-arching societal and governance structure for all regions annexed to the U.S. was and is anglo-dominated and simply extended from the original colonial region on the other side of the Appalachians.
A lot of British here have this twisted view of America, they probably imagine their queen is a topic of conversation on American daily breakfasts and MOTHER Britain is something most Americans cherish and look up to.
The US is an empire, with special relationships all over the world, most Americans see the UK as just another European country to visit, not as a mother or any of that weird UK way of seeing the US stalking stuff.
the US southwest feels strongly Spanish in its old history and also native American, now due to immigration it feels increasingly Mexican influenced.
Louisiana and the mid west has a french flair about it. You can go from DES MOINES, to EAU CLAIRE, then down the Mississippi to NOUVELLE ORLEANS, and stop on SAINT LOUIS and BATON ROUGE. (nothing british about it)
Alaska has Russian roots
The UK colonized 13 Atlantic states (minus Florida which was Spanish) and then they gained their independence and formed a nation that expanded westwards absorbing cities and states that had ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO DO WITH THE UK!
Even a republic with no common history with Britain was absorbed (Texas)
The british who often stalk America and love being America's lap dog usually dont see America as a diverse modern empire with worldwide influence. They see it as some sort of British enclave on the other side of the pond (a term they use quite often) when talking about the US!
They're just deluded!
Lets not even start with the special relationship, no one in the US cares or even really knows that term but for the UK is a daily topic and important news worthy of headlines!!!
One time Obama went to France and said, France and the US have always had an important special relationship. (The next day the UK media went crazy because the term special relationship should just be used to talk about the UK). HONESTLY LIKE A STALKING PSYCHOPATH OF AN EXGIRLFRIEND!
I broadly agree but the UK is still the European country that Americans are and feel closest to by far. It's not just a random European country like all the others.
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