Welcome to the History Unplugged Podcast.

The unscripted show that celebrates unsung heroes, Mythbust's historical lies, and rediscoveres

the forgotten stories that changed our world.

I'm your host, Scott Rank.

In the 1760s, almost no one would be worse at fighting for their independence than the

American colonies.

They were completely incapable of organized resistance.

One's loyalty was to his state, as the idea of being an American was almost meaningless.

Few people even clamored for democracy, because Europe and the rest of the world thought

that the highest form of government was monarchy.

Democracy was something that you read about in your classical education that Athens tried

to do, but it just led to internal chaos and disorder for how rowdy it was.

And after all, most American colonists considered themselves British, or at least subjects

of the British Empire.

But if you fast forward a decade later, by 1776, the United States is formally declaring

itself as a new nation in which all men are created equal.

They're able to put together a continental army that challenges the preeminent military

superpower and planet Earth.

Beyond that, many people are starting to consider themselves as Americans.

So how did so much change in 10 years?

You grew up in the United States, you learn about American history, and it's almost assumed

that there was this American identity that just needed to be woken up and triggered by

...