347: The American Revolution (Part 1)

The Rest Is History

Goalhanger

History

4.6 • 18.6K Ratings

🗓️ 3 July 2023

⏱️ 57 minutes

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Summary

“America, late the strength, now the foe to Britain, dismembered, torn, I fear forever lost to England, whence she sprung.” The American Revolution came about due to growing tensions between the American colonies and Great Britain, primarily over issues of taxation and representation. It led to the birth of the United States of America, established upon Enlightenment principles of liberal democracy and constitutionalism. In the first episode of our four part series, Tom and Dominic are joined by Professor Adam Smith for a detailed look at the beginnings of the American Revolution, as they examine the background to the war, and how both religious fervour and the implementation of colonial taxes fuelled the conflict. The Rest Is History Club members can listen to the full series now. Join The Rest Is History Club on Apple podcasts or at www.restishistorypod.com for ad-free listening to the full archive, weekly bonus episodes, live streamed shows, and access to an exclusive chatroom community. *The Rest Is History Live Tour 2023*: Tom and Dominic are back on tour this autumn! See them live in London, New Zealand, and Australia! Buy your tickets here: restishistorypod.com Twitter: @TheRestHistory @holland_tom @dcsandbrook Producer: Theo Young-Smith Executive Producers: Jack Davenport + Tony Pastor Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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0:00.0	Thanks for listening to The Rest is History. For bonus episodes, early access, add free
0:05.4	listening, and access to our chat community, please sign up at RestIsHistoryPod.com.
0:12.0	Or if you're listening on the Apple Podcasts app, you can subscribe within the app in just
0:18.4	a few clicks.
0:30.9	The page of future history will tell how Britain planted, nourished, and for two
0:36.8	centuries preserved a second British empire. How strengthened by her sons, she rose to such a
0:43.5	pitch of power that this little island proved to mighty for the greatest efforts of the greatest
0:49.9	nations. Within the space of 20 years, the world beheld her arms triumphant in every quarter of the
0:57.2	globe, her fleets displayed victorious banners, her sails were spread and conquest graced the canvas.
1:04.8	Historic truth must likewise relate, within the same little space of time,
1:10.0	her Britain fell to half her greatness. How strangely lost by misjudging ministers,
1:16.4	by rash-advised councils, our gracious sovereign George III saw more than half his empire crumble
1:23.7	beneath his scepter, America, late the strength, now the foe to Britain, dismembered, torn,
1:32.9	I fear, forever lost to England, once she sprung.
1:38.7	So Tom, that was the Duke of Manchester in November 1775, in a House of Laws debate about
1:44.8	using foreign troops in the colonies in the American War of Independence. So this is for us in
1:53.6	Britain. The funny thing about this is we don't really know much about this at all,
1:57.8	do we? It looms so large in the consciousness of Americans, but it's not towards in Britain,
2:02.2	it doesn't really have any great purchase on our national imagination.
2:06.2	It's weird, isn't it, how in Britain we don't really know very much about wars that we lose?
2:11.9	No, but for the funny thing is, I knew you were going to say that, but I thought to myself,
2:15.9	we actually love defeats. So Gordon and we don't. We don't.
	...

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