X-post: Just watched the movie "The Patriot," and out of curiosity looked up a British view of the

[muriel_volestrangler]

36. A British viewpoint: the relatively well-off American middle class thought they'd do better still

if they got independence. The aristocracy and landed gentry were still in charge of Britain - they owned most of the land, and the voting for the 'Commons' in parliament was still entirely controlled by them, in a far more corrupt and unfair system than anything seen since in any country. America had no landed gentry, but instead something like a middle class, that was better off than the pretty powerless British equivalent - the Americans were wealthier (there was all that land to take from Native Americans, after all, and slave labour to be used). But they didn't have ultimate political power, and, being far enough away to be able to do it, they decided to fight for independence.

Americans were under a 'tyranny' in the same way that the whole of Europe, including Britain itself, and anyone living in an established state anywhere in the world, were under tyranny then, if you weren't in the '1%'. The typical American colonist was already better off than most, in terms of wealth and freedom; but there was a bit more achievable.