DiscussWorldIssues - Socio-Economic Religion and Political Uncensored Debate - View Single Post - Anglo-Americans, are you British?

***Playergirl*** · 06-27-2012, 03:05 AM

I think the Anglo-Saxon roots in America are quite strong and deeply rooted in the countries history, so it depends on which American you ask, and it also depends how much British they are in order for them to define themselves as "British" genetically. I think culturally speaking America has derived much of its cultural, political, and social framework from the British Isles, and the original founders of this country were by and large of English/Ulster Scottish ancestry.

There were others involved such as the French and Germans to a lesser extent, but early American society was very British in its whole orientation. If you read into the whole history behind the British migrations in the U.S. you will find that there were certain waves of British individuals from different parts of England/Scotland/Northern Ireland who spread out into the different parts of the country.

The North Britain/Ulster Scottish/Scottish tended to come into the country in the areas the Quakers dominated, and then were sent out into the Appalachian region where they typified the backwoodsmen, who also influenced the American agrarian and ranch culture in the South. The English from the south of England influenced the plantation culture, and generally settled in Virginia, the Midlanders from England influenced the industrial culture in the Midwest, and finally the East Anglia Puritans who settled in the Northeast influenced the corporate culture.

I think sometimes we don't realize how British derived and influenced our culture can be at times, and I think it has aided in building such a close and integrable relationship with the British Islanders. Basically the argument during the Revolutionary War that was we were fighting in the name of British rights, which justified the rule by people via John Locke and Thomas Paine's own writings on the matter.

There of course a few Frenchmen who played a part, but the majority of it focused around preserving a British notion of rights and freedom. There was also a boost in trade and economic transference between the British and the Americas after the Revolutionary War, and it was seen as the quickest peace that has ever been established between two enemy nations.

Also we speak the English language, so that is another thing that connects us with the British, and genetically there are of course some pure English/Ulster Scottish mixes, although some early on in America mixed with Germans, French, Irish, Dutch, and even Scandinavian peoples in the colonies.

That said in some specific areas the pure WASP identity has been maintained, and there are also clearly many of pure British Islander descent in America, which includes Irish ancestry. I think its fair to say that America has some strong British roots, which they have derived from early on in many ways in a genetic, cultural, and linguistic manner all of which supplemented each other.

Therefore I think some Americans, even if they are not pure Anglo-American feel some connection with the British Islanders in some ways, since they are genetically partially British in most cases.

---------- Post added 2012-06-26 at 15:13 ----------

I consider this to be more about culture than merely ancestry.
Mexican-Americans aren't really 'British' because they have a different culture, not just different genes.
Anglo-Americans have a more similar culture and genetic background compared to a normal English person than to a Mexican-American.

I don't think you can separate ancestry/genetics from culture though, and the strong impact and influence they have in shaping the cultural experience. Language is a means through which the genetic/psychological element of the culture is expressed and communicated about a specific "something" which holds a symbolic cultural value.

Anglo-Americans genetic orientation predisposes themselves towards a more British experience culturally speaking.

I mean when you think about it even the non-European elements of Anglo-American society, such as the African-Americans in particular, have Anglo-American cultural and genetic influences, although I think the African component largely dominates.

06-27-2012, 03:05 AM	#28
*Playergirl* Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 440 Senior Member	I think the Anglo-Saxon roots in America are quite strong and deeply rooted in the countries history, so it depends on which American you ask, and it also depends how much British they are in order for them to define themselves as "British" genetically. I think culturally speaking America has derived much of its cultural, political, and social framework from the British Isles, and the original founders of this country were by and large of English/Ulster Scottish ancestry. There were others involved such as the French and Germans to a lesser extent, but early American society was very British in its whole orientation. If you read into the whole history behind the British migrations in the U.S. you will find that there were certain waves of British individuals from different parts of England/Scotland/Northern Ireland who spread out into the different parts of the country. The North Britain/Ulster Scottish/Scottish tended to come into the country in the areas the Quakers dominated, and then were sent out into the Appalachian region where they typified the backwoodsmen, who also influenced the American agrarian and ranch culture in the South. The English from the south of England influenced the plantation culture, and generally settled in Virginia, the Midlanders from England influenced the industrial culture in the Midwest, and finally the East Anglia Puritans who settled in the Northeast influenced the corporate culture. I think sometimes we don't realize how British derived and influenced our culture can be at times, and I think it has aided in building such a close and integrable relationship with the British Islanders. Basically the argument during the Revolutionary War that was we were fighting in the name of British rights, which justified the rule by people via John Locke and Thomas Paine's own writings on the matter. There of course a few Frenchmen who played a part, but the majority of it focused around preserving a British notion of rights and freedom. There was also a boost in trade and economic transference between the British and the Americas after the Revolutionary War, and it was seen as the quickest peace that has ever been established between two enemy nations. Also we speak the English language, so that is another thing that connects us with the British, and genetically there are of course some pure English/Ulster Scottish mixes, although some early on in America mixed with Germans, French, Irish, Dutch, and even Scandinavian peoples in the colonies. That said in some specific areas the pure WASP identity has been maintained, and there are also clearly many of pure British Islander descent in America, which includes Irish ancestry. I think its fair to say that America has some strong British roots, which they have derived from early on in many ways in a genetic, cultural, and linguistic manner all of which supplemented each other. Therefore I think some Americans, even if they are not pure Anglo-American feel some connection with the British Islanders in some ways, since they are genetically partially British in most cases. ---------- Post added 2012-06-26 at 15:13 ---------- I consider this to be more about culture than merely ancestry. Mexican-Americans aren't really 'British' because they have a different culture, not just different genes. Anglo-Americans have a more similar culture and genetic background compared to a normal English person than to a Mexican-American. I don't think you can separate ancestry/genetics from culture though, and the strong impact and influence they have in shaping the cultural experience. Language is a means through which the genetic/psychological element of the culture is expressed and communicated about a specific "something" which holds a symbolic cultural value. Anglo-Americans genetic orientation predisposes themselves towards a more British experience culturally speaking. I mean when you think about it even the non-European elements of Anglo-American society, such as the African-Americans in particular, have Anglo-American cultural and genetic influences, although I think the African component largely dominates.
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