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To: Sherman Logan

I agree. It was a unique blend of peoples, resources, distance, and geo-politics at the time that enabled us to to pull it all off.

In shorthand, I always describe the gentlemen Tidewater Anglican/Cavalier types (now Episcopalians) and Puritan/dissenters providing most of the money, respectability, leadership and intellect while the Calvinist/Knoxite Presbyterian/Congregationalists provided the much of the mob and muscle.

Would that diversity gave us such strength today.


35 posted on 04/03/2014 10:48:45 AM PDT by Lowell1775
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To: Lowell1775

Population of UK at the time around 12M, but about 4M of that was in Ireland, and most of that was hardly a group that made the country stronger. Most Irish (and Scotch-Irish) at the time were strongly anti-British, and for good reason.

Population of what became US, about 2.5M and growing very fast. A good chunk of whom were slaves.

Given the tech and logistics of the time, it was probably just not possible for UK to conquer US in 1770s, if Americans just refused to give up. They couldn’t support a large enough army to conquer and control territory of that size, particularly since America just didn’t have a single vulnerable point.

From another perspective, if we hadn’t broken away in 1776, either a successful revolution or something like Canada/Australia was inevitable sometime during the 19th century. The Brits just couldn’t continue to dominate a continent as its population and industry grew.

The Brits, after all, gave practical independence with little resistance to both Oz and Canada. But OTOH they learned a lesson the really hard way from George and the boys.


36 posted on 04/03/2014 12:49:20 PM PDT by Sherman Logan
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