American Culture: The British

At this point in our USHAP studies, the states have officially become independent of England, and we are currently learning about the formation of these newly independent states into a united country. However, despite their newfound independence, there were certainly many elements of British culture that remained in American culture, especially since most colonists were either British-born, of British descent, or were from one of the countries within the United Kingdom. Many Americans had been Loyalists during the war, and even after the war retained their loyalty to the crown. Even though America was independence, nothing would stop British influence from being widespread in the new country. Where do we still see British influence in American culture today?

The most obvious answer is in our language. While the US has no official national language, most of the people in the country can speak and read English well. However, the lasting effects of British influence stretches further than just diction. Even when the founding fathers were creating the Constitution, the representative houses they created somewhat resembled British Parliament, although the Americans aimed for true representation rather than virtual representation. The idea of a representative democracy in the US was in fact inspired by the colonies grievances with the Parliamentary system, so in that respect, the idea of the American representative system can be both directly and indirectly attributed to the British. 

My personal favorite example of lasting influence from the UK: how many of us enjoy daily tea? Scones(from Scotland)?

Despite nearly two and a half centuries of independence, the American people seem to have a fascination with the ruling family of England. Did anyone else find it a little strange that CNN, and American television company, spent the entire day of the wedding between Prince William and Kate Middleton providing American viewers with in-depth coverage of the event? Even in the US, it seemed like everyone was fascinated by the wedding ceremony, the attire all the royals wore to the wedding, and just about every other aspect. Similarly, many people in the United States were excited about Kate's pregnancy and were excited when pictures of the baby were released. I don't know what it is about the royal family, but somehow they are able to bring excitement even to people in this independent country across the pond. Anyone have any ideas as to why Americans might get so excited about the British Royal Family?

There are of course countless other factors that have created the melting pot that is American culture. Even in the late 1700s, the time period we are in right now in class, there were numerous Americans who were descendants of other parts of the globe. Today, this diversity is what makes American culture unique and extremely varied across the fifty states. While there is no shortage of British influence in American society today, thankfully the US has drawn influence and cultures from other places to make it the interesting place that it is.