As I was studiously reading my political science textbook the other night (and by that, I of course mean reading all of the assigned chapters furiously the night before the test) I came across the most astounding survey. It said that 40% of Britons didn't know that the United States was once part of the British Empire.
Seriously, England? I mean, this is a pretty big part of history. In 1783, the sun finally set on the English Empire. The Island of Misfit Colonies defeated it's creator in an 8 year long fight to the death. I'd say that's a pretty big deal.
Have you even seen National Treasure? That movie is basically the film representation of the typical US History book. Unless you were snogging during the whole movie, I think you would have realized the plot is centered around the severing of the ragtag group of colonies from the great British Empire. I think that movie makes it pretty clear that the founding fathers not only committed treason by declaring independence from Mother England, but that the Freemasons in fact did bring the treasure of the Knight's Templar to America. (It also taught us that if you're in trouble with the US government for stealing a priceless historical document, you can bribe your way out of it with treasure, but that's a lesson for another day.) Three irrefutable facts taught to us by the one and only Nicolas Cage.
(^Best history/life lesson teacher ever^)
This makes me wonder what our cousins across the pond have been taught about the great Revolution? Do British History teachers do the same thing US History teachers do when they skip over the Vietnam War (Don't tell us "we simply don't have the time to cover this part of history" when we spend 3 weeks on Andrew Carnegie alone)? Have they Tiananmen Square'd the war? How do you cover up an EIGHT YEAR LONG CIVIL WAR, ENGLAND?