Greatest American? (All Over on Page Eight)

[TanisFrey]

Incorrect about Scotland - England and Scotland joined together voluntarily under James I/VI in 1603 with this finally settled under the Act of Union in 1707. Wales and Ireland were conquered and particularly the Irish do have a right to deprecate the behaviour of English rulers (especially Oliver Cromwell )

I'll stay out of any ACW discussion though it is a period of history that I'm interested in as it does seem to inflame passions over there in the States.

With the American Revolution I do remember the slogan of 'No taxation without representation' and wonder what effect adding parliamentary constituencies for the thirteen colonies to Westminster would have had? At least some of the support would have been diluted, but a system more akin to the present Commonwealth with local taxation and rule.

Thank you for the links. British hisorty is barely covered in the US classrooms, only were if directly relates to US history.

King Gorge did send an emisary to the Contanoly Congress to conceide the coloniey demands from before the war. Congress said that it was too late after so much bloodshed. I beleive that this was around Yorktown when France joined the War.

 

[Orius]

With the American Revolution I do remember the slogan of 'No taxation without representation' and wonder what effect adding parliamentary constituencies for the thirteen colonies to Westminster would have had? At least some of the support would have been diluted, but a system more akin to the present Commonwealth with local taxation and rule.

It might not have even needed to go that far. George III tried to reassert authority over the colonies after they had been to some extent self-governing for over a century. When colonial leaders balked, he didn't try to smooth things over, rather he saw the colonial leaders as mere commoners who had an obligation to submit to the authority of the crown. So he cracked down, and the more he cracked down, the more angry colonial leaders got. If he chose to use the proverbial carrot rather than the stick, the American Revoluion would likely never had happened.

 

[Mark]

Well, they've narrowed down the final 25 to the final five. Alphabetcally,

Benjamin Franklin
Martin Luther King Jr.
Abraham Lincoln
Ronald Reagan
George Washington

The voting booth has been reset and people can now re-vote from among the final five.

http://dsc.discovery.com/convergence/greatestamerican/top100/top100.html

http://tv.channel.aol.com/greatestamerican

 

[diaglo]

Well, they've narrowed down the final 25 to the final five. Alphabetcally,

Benjamin Franklin
Martin Luther King Jr.
Abraham Lincoln
Ronald Reagan
George Washington

The voting booth has been reset and people can now re-vote from among the final five.

http://dsc.discovery.com/convergence/greatestamerican/top100/top100.html

http://tv.channel.aol.com/greatestamerican

wow.. ronald reagan made it.

diaglo "my wife's friend was assassinated by reagan's goons" Ooi

 

[Fast Learner]

Wow. One of those things SO not like the others. Werid, to me, how perception works.

 

[dogoftheunderworld]

My vote didn't change... Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

"Darkness can not drive out darkness, only light can"


The Peacemaker is dead, long live the Peacemakers!


Brian
<><

 

[EricNoah]

A lot of good people on that list, hard to choose one. I've always admired those who struggled against oppression to make the American dream come true for all Americans, so people like Lincoln and civil rights activits are on top in my eyes. They are not flawless people, no one is, but to me they are the ulimate symbols of courage, conviction, equality and liberty -- virtues and rights that I hold most dear. My vote ultimately went to MLK as a symbol of the movement, though it easily could have gone to others, including one man not on the list, Frederick Douglass.

 

[EricNoah]

"Darkness can not drive out darkness, only light can."

What a beautiful, fitting quote. Much needed in times of fear. Here's hoping our light will shine.

 

[diaglo]

What a beautiful, fitting quote. Much needed in times of fear. Here's hoping our light will shine.

now you've got me singing We Shall Overcome over and over in my head.

 

[Dakkareth]

If he was an American, I'd vote for Einstein.