American History Questions: Can anyone help me out?

Question

How & why, did American colonists, in both social & material ways, try to emulate British culture? Were they entirely successful? Could this have contributed to developing the idea of seperation of the Mother Country & its colonies?

I do not have a history book. i have looked for the answer and do have part of it. i'd just really appreciate if i could make my answer fuller. if you have nothing helpful to say and just want to be mean and call me lazy for asking help with my history homework- DON'T. it's annoying and mean. for once, i'd just like some help.

Answer 1

A very strange thing happened--they took the social and material "tools" they brought from England (language, literacy, governing skills, organization, farming, carpentry, banking, cooking, weaving, etc) that made them a successful prosperous invading culture in a rich, raw, huge land (America) that had no competitors except the Indians, who were also weakened by the colonists' diseases. The colonists succeeded and even became wealthy----but this made them forget their legal status--they were still "subjects" of the British King. Their reality was in complete conflict to their legal status, because the King served no purpose in their lives anymore--they had taken the risks, and done the work by themselves, and would keep on this way, never needing to return to England.

Answer 2

Public Television had a program on the American Revolution. In the beginning, the American colonies tried to emulate the mother country and all the British fashions. But when visitors from England came to do business in the Colonies they were disdainful of the colonists efforts - they were never good enough. The Americans tried to be British in every way - the British always looked down on them.

Can't recall if the program said anything about that being a contributing factor. At first the idea of Revolution was espoused by only a few - until the Stamp Act. That put a tax on - among other things - playing cards and legal documents. So now England had the sailors (who played cards all the time) and lawyers against them. People would gather and discuss their discontent.

Answer 3

I really think you should do your own work by reading the book....but I'm going to help you out anyway.

American colonists: *were British* and carried their lifestyles from England to the Newfoundland. Although they came to a different place, they (at first) obeyed the laws of their motherland and considered themselves a British colony until they were not given representation within their own Government. Many of them still fought for the English after having moved to the Newfoundland (During the French and Indian War). Most of the colonists did not move to the Newfoundland to start a new country.

After the unfair taxation and struggles with the motherland, the colonists developed a system of government (of sorts) through the 1st continental congress (and then with the 2nd continintal congress after the "war" with england really started).

The unequal treatment of the colonists by England was what contributed to their eventual seperation from them and hence to the beginnings of our country.

Good luck with whatever assignment this is for.

Answer 4

"social & material ways"

Well, many British colonists arrived seeking a higher social standing and material wealth. Britain was a very class-stratified society in which possession of land was considered the peak of social standing (going back to medieval times). With such a social standing, went political power - the ability to vote (Britain was not ruled by a King but by parliament). Hence ambitious British citizens in Britain, the USA and later Australia etc. aspired to money, land and political power.

So one factor which caused some consternation in the American colonies was the fact that Britain barred them from all the Indian lands to the interior. And of course, the lack of a vote, no matter how much land you owned (Britain learnt their leason from this and didn't apply the same rules in their later colonies).

The values of "no taxation without representation" and freedom, liberty etc all come straight from the English civil wars of a century before. So the colonists fought for British values and social ambitions.

(ps. I wouldn't think that the Brits looking down on the colonials was a factor as this was the same with every other colony of Britain, and they stayed loyal to Britain right up to WW2)

Answer 5

First, they were English settlers who became American citizens by revolting against their own government and forming a new one. Interestingly Americans didn't fight the British because until after the war they were English too.
The American culture moved away from its British roots with sustained immigration from many other European countries and importation of slaves on a much greater scale (also slavery was made illegal in Britain a generation before America).
America has reasonably successfully adapted Parliamentary democracy into a Republican version. The legal and religious systems (though more Puritan influenced) have been fairly well copied and adapted. The idea of separation came from the Radicals of the time who wanted home rule in which they would be the rulers, they were called revolutionaries, in this day and age they would meet all the criteria that it takes to be classed as a terrorist organization, food for thought!

Answer 6

It's really very simple the American colonists did not like the wigs that British dudes wore because it made them look too feminine and when they were drinking tea they held their cup with two fingers with their pinkie finger sticking out and they looked really ridiculous and they also wore those funny pants that came down to their knees with white sox and that's how the Chicago white sox got their name but I digress because the British had those silly looking triangle hats that were shaped like a slice of pie but I digress again because that's the way King George wanted them to look, gay, which by the way is where gayness started and was brought to this country in boats. the end.

Answer 7

AMERICAN colonists tried to emulate the BRITISH because, at that point in time, They still considered Themselves BRITISH citizens. what developed the idea of a break with the mother country most was, when they were'nt considered the equals of
native ENGLISHMEN(no representation in parliament).

Answer 8

I know this answer.
I am not going to tell you.
Because.....
it has been over 30 years since I had to read my history book, but I read it and remembered it and I know it now because of that. Get off of the computer and study. Don't grow up and be a village idiot.

Answer 9

Great point, but I'm not 100%

Answer 10

That's a tricky question..