Can you assume that Americans are basically distant cousins of the British?

Question

Although Americans have interwened with other ethnics and nationalities much more than Canadians or Australians, are majority of the Americans related to the British?

Answer 1

You question deserves a qualified yes, even though more Americans list themselves on the 2000 Census as German-American than either English-American (8.7%), Scots-American (1.7%), or Scots-Irish American (1.5%):

------German (15.2%)

------Irish (10.8%*)

------English (8.7%)

------Polish (3.2%)

------French (3.0%)

------Scottish (1.7%)

------Dutch (1.7%)

------Scots-Irish [Protestant Ulster Irish ] (1.5%)

------Swedish (1.4%)

------Russian (0.9%)

------French Canadian (0.8%)

The actual percentage of "British-Americans" is actually a little more complicated, however. First of all, a sizeable number of Caucasians (7.2%) wrote down "American" when asked to reveal their ethnicity--most of whom lived in the American South or in California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, or West Virginia: According to the Census Bureau (by way of Wikipedia), "People of American ancestry are generally assumed to be of predominantly English, Scottish, or Welsh stock." Utah and Southeastern Idaho as well as New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine, on the other hand, have the largest percentage of self-identifying English-Americans.

Since ethnic categories are reported by citizens themselves, they aren't always that reliable. For example, the Census Bureau (and Wikipedia) also note that "actual estimates of the Scots Irish population by ancestry place it at 15 to 18 percent of the total population."

Of course, by the time the Census Bureau figures everyone whose ancestors came from the British Isles into the equation, excluding those of Irish [Roman-Catholic descent], then conservatively, at least 25 percent of all Americans view themselves as of primarily British ancestry:

15.0% Scots Irish (estimate)
8.7% English
1.7% Scottish
------
25.4% of British origin

African Americans, many of whom have some British ancestry, make up 12.3 percent of the population (African Americans are an estimated 17 percent European). Hispanic-Americans and Asian Americans make up 12.5 and 5 percent of the population, respectively. Native Americans make up 1.0 percent of Americans.

All of whom, speak (some more imperfectly than others), or try to speak, English. In addition to studying American literature in eleventh grade, for example, most high school students end their formal public education with a year's survey of British literature. Along the way, they will also have studied approximately three or four Shakespearean plays. Furthermore, the U. S. Constitution is based on earlier British documents.

Would you believe adopted cousins?

------
*A large percentage of those who checked Irish are actually of Scots Irish descent if they live in the American South.

Answer 2

Although I can trace most of my family tree branches back to England 95% of my Ancestors where here in North America by the late 1600's to the early 1700's. The other 5% of my Ancestors where already here and were Native Americans. So seeing that 100% of my Ancestors where here before the United States of American came into being I belive I am an American in every since of the word.

If you want to get right down to it even the British are a "Mutt" Race . Britin was invaded by the Saxons, Germans, Vikings and the Romans, just to name a few. Many of the kings and Queens of Britin came from other countries.

So at what point did the British people stop being the nationality of their Ancestors and started being simply British.

Answer 3

Generally no, although I would think that the number of Americans with some english/british ancestry is much larger than the 8-9% or so that report british ancestry, I would doubt that it's a "majority." It may well be a majority in certain states/regions, however.

Answer 4

Many are. However, people don't tend to identify themselves as English or English Americans like the Irish, Italians. Germans, etc.

In the South, after the English settled the coastline, the Scots and Scotch Irish moved into the western part of the Southern colonies, along with Germans who were always called Dutch. Deutsch sounded like Dutch to the ears of English speaking people. Then the French Huguenots came. As the western part of the southern colonies were cleared and made more habitable, the English moved and joined up with the Scots, Scotch Irish, Germans and Huguenots. The Huguenots often times made a good cotton agent for the English planter, as they were mostly a merchant class of people. Down through the centuries all these people have been blended.

I lived in San Antonio Texas many years ago. People were identified as Anglo, Hispanic or Black. However,many identified as Anglo were Germans, Czech and others. People would state the difference was the language they spoke. However, Black people speak English too.
I believed one school district in Texas took care of that by identifying children as Anglo white and Anglo black.

Answer 5

My brother lives in the UK and is an American citizen. He works for the UK he like me is very disturbed with what has happened to the politics here in the US. HE thinks that jealousy is behind the hatred of all things American. Because we have been the world leaders for a few years. Europe will be the future world leaders because war policies have bankrupted us. I do agree about the collaboration between The UK and the New World which still has many English ex patriots. But I have also been interested much in the French art movements as well as the Beatles and now Amy Winehouse also Sammy a writer friend of mine. My ex boyfriend is a famous NYC artist who's wife is a Brit and his collaborator in art projects. They ran the Howl festival recently check out James Romberger and Marguarite Van Cooke. Your question gives me added faith in the idea of one world art, music, writing, etc. We all should be above this nationalistic thinking. It is the artists who could "Imagine" a better world. Even the Beatles were Brit and Asian; Brit and American, and Brit and Brit. Someday the rest of the world may just catch up and surprise us....

Answer 6

NOPE. Depending on which part of the country your in you'll find people of all ethnic backgrounds. Maybe way, way back the percentage would have been higher but nowadays I believe true British blood is probably in the minority by a large margin.

Answer 7

This kind of stereotyping question can get people in trouble! :-) You can't assume anything about a general population's background. I'm an American and have proven genealogy from many lines going to back to when they landed in the U.S. and so far, none of my ancestors were English. Maybe I'm in the minority, but just the fact there is a minority is enough to demonstrate you can't make assumptions. :-)

Answer 8

The majority of the white ones are, except for the Hispanics. Most of us have German lines as well, if we were in this country for more than 3 generations. My first anglo-german marriage was in 1692. (That is, the first of my British ancestors to marry a Gemanic one.)

Answer 9

Many Americans immigrated from all over Europe, not just England. Now many Americans are descendants of Mexico and Asia also, so I think the answer is "no".

Answer 10

If they're descended from European immigrants, it depends entirely on whether those ancestors were British. I have a few drops of English blood in me, but most of me is traceable back to Germany and Switzerland.