UNITED-EMPIRE-LOYALIST-L Archives

From: Dr M M Gilchrist <>
Subject: [UEL] Happy Canada Day!/History and education
Date: Sat, 1 Jul 2000 04:45:59 -0700 (PDT)

>From sunny St. Andrews:
Happy Canada Day, which is also Happy Scottish Parliament first birthday!

Loren's experience of US education re: the Rebellion:
>I was not taught any of the above-mentioned facts in school as I was growing
>up. In-other-words I was taught a biased historical viewpoint of the
>American Revolution. I was taught that we were the good guys and all those
>filthy British... were the bad guys.
is, disturbingly, about the same level of info on the subject commonly
available here in the UK. We are treated as a cultural colony and client
state by the US, and conditioned to see ourselves as "the bad guys".
Canadian material about our own side's experiences does not get through
over here, despite the fact that our historical and cultural links with
Canada are stronger and of longer duration, and that most people here
regard it as a more likeable country. A few places here (shopping centres,
pubs & c) are even celebrating 4 July and dishing out free flags... dancing
merrily on the graves of their own people...

I was lucky in that from being a small child I was aware of the fragmentary
family lore about the MacLeod uncle who emigrated to North Carolina but was
forced to return as a refugee. But nothing I learned in school gave any
kind of backing to that information. We were not taught that Loyal
Americans existed, basically just a black-and-white picture that the Rebels
were right and the French Navy clinched the outcome. No-one's heard of any
of our heroes.

Until just a few years ago I had not delved any further into the matter
(the historian's favourite get-out being clause: "it's outside my
period!"). Had vague sense of embarrassment re: having Loyal American
uncle, matched with awareness that somehow it would be valued in Canada,
though not something one talked about in Britain. (Indeed, a colleague was
once extremely and offensively patronising to me about it!) It's been good
to step out of the historical closet over the past 3 years, despite the
flak.

While there are individual monuments in various churches to some
individuals who gave their lives
(see http://www.silverwhistle.free-online.co.uk/rollofhonour.html for some
memorials in the UK as well as in the US) there is no national monument to
our war dead. Losing a war should not mean ignoring them (the US has its
powerful yet simply designed Vietnam Wall, after all). Meanwhile monuments
are erected to honour a few prominent emigrants who were involved on the
other side (Paisley University and Princeton are getting
intimidating-looking twin giant Witherspoons, by the talented young
neo-Classicist Stoddart). But of course, that's more about attracting US
dollars than about our own history and identity.

I'm pleased that Liverpool (a city with a strong sense of identity and
civic pride) is not taking the caricaturing of its former MP in 'The
Patriot' lying down. Maybe - just maybe - some fuss over this may galvanise
people over here to stop playing 'Uncle Tom' to humour the US's
interpretation of what is also OUR history.
(See the current ed. of 'The Loyalist Gazette' for a longer essay on the
invisibility of our side of things over here).
cheers,
Doc M

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• [UEL] Happy Canada Day!/History and education by Dr M M Gilchrist <>