The greatest that Americans value and are proud of is independence. It is no secret that they were a colony of the British Empire for a long time, having gained independence (so far only self-proclaimed) only in 1776. After signing the declaration on July 4, America went into free float. This day is still celebrated by the whole country, celebrating it with fireworks and lush barbecue. Then it was not time for the celebration, since, having received parchment with the signatures of 56 leaders of the colonists on detachment, the British king George III decided to start a war, punishing the unauthorized Americans.
The outcome of the War of Independence is well known - America expelled the British, gradually reducing their role in world domination and becoming a superpower. Since then, Americans around the world have been boasting of their independence and their own system of governing the country, not wanting to admit that there are many things borrowed from around the world, and especially taken from the British.
We suggest you study 10 things that Americans have adopted and Britain, concluding that they are so independent in reality.
1
National anthem
Francis Scott Key on the deck of a ship
Americans associate their hymn “The Star-Spangled Banner” with gaining freedom from the British Empire. The words of the anthem are nothing more than a poem by Francis Scott Key, written under the influence of the defense of Fort McHenry in Baltimore, which took place in 1812 during the war between Britain and the United States. There are lines in the poem expressing confidence that the flag will proudly fly, despite any attacks.
As for the melody, this is nothing more than a British song for pubs “Anacreon in Heaven” (written around 1780), known in a narrow circle of revelers and hangers. Despite this, the Americans liked the melody so much that it was approved by Herbert Hoover as a national anthem in 1931.
And here she is:
This story also has Russian roots. The famous director Nikita Mikhalkov claimed that the Americans allegedly “stole” the melody of the anthem among the Russians, presenting as evidence the melody of the romance “Khasbulat daredevil”. Of course, this was not true, since the romance is dated to the second half of the 50s of the XIX century. It turns out that the British have every right to blame both Americans and Russians for plagiarism.
2
Movie
Going to the cinema is considered one of the main types of recreation in the United States. This pastime, characterized by the smell of fresh caramel popcorn and the inviting atmosphere of a dark cinema, has also become possible for the Americans and the entire population of the globe thanks to the British. If now you can order a movie ticket using your smartphone and go to the movie show in a few minutes, then before everything was much more complicated. Cinema itself was made possible thanks to an optical phenomenon that allows you to “bind” fast-changing images. One of the founders of photography is considered to be William Henry Fox Talbot, who was a scientist from England. At first, he was able to obtain a negative image, after which he was able to realize the appearance of positive copies of the negative.
These photos (a storyboard option) were placed in primitive optical devices, which replaced them, adding captions to the frames. However, the modern films that we watch every day needed the possibility of integral shooting.
Edward Maybridge conducted experiments on the initial creation of films, photographing horses for his customer. He was able to create a system using several cameras, which allowed photographing the horse while moving. After he invented the apparatus, performing frame rotation, creating a dynamic picture or just a movie.
Such British discoveries became the basis for the development of one of the largest consumer industries in the world. Do you like movies? Then be sure to look at most-beauty.ru an interesting selection of the most popular films in history.
3
Locomotive
Passenger trains guarantee fast and very inexpensive transportation of passengers not only in the United States, but around the world. In addition, trains for other purposes provide transportation of various goods.
Despite the fact that some Americans manage to consider trains their invention, the British do not get tired of reminding that the first steam locomotive arrived in the USA from the UK. Inventor Richard Trevitick developed a system for locating steam engines on carts. After checking the mechanism in the Cornish mines, Trevitik attached a load of 10 tons of iron and more than 50 people to his steam locomotive. The steam engine managed to “push” the luggage more than 15 kilometers at a speed of 8 km / h, which was amazing at that time.
At that time, the engineering miracle of Robert Stephenson was not even mentioned. Today, Britain has more railway tracks per square meter than any country in the world. Of course, in this regard, Americans can not even think about competition.
3
The Internet
Can you imagine modern life without the Internet? Surely not, because even you are reading this article using the world wide web. With a huge reservoir of knowledge at hand, it’s hard to remember the times leading up to the dominance of search engines, the spread of memes and fun videos, like the tsunami that filled all offices and classrooms.
And in this case, the whole world owes the invention of the Internet to Great Britain. The most interesting thing is that the Soviet Union, which launched the first satellite into space, had a hand in this. The achievements of Soviet scientists led the whole world to seriously consider this industry and start the “arms race” in space exploration.
Pictured: Tim Berners-Lee
As network communication spreads, British scientist Tim Berners-Lee introduced the World Wide Web to the public. Breaking down the barriers of transmitting information in the classical way, Bernes-Lee created an information resource that could become available to everyone. Although there have been tremendous changes on the Internet since then, it was Berners-Lee who invented it, adding another reason for pride and the opportunity to click on the nose of the Americans in the UK piggy bank.
5
Tongue
It is sad for the Americans, but it is impossible to challenge the appearance of the English language in England. Related to Indo-European languages, English is the main language in many countries of the world, including the USA. Although some "hot heads" do not get tired of lamenting due to the lack of proper language.
Beginning as Old English, the language by the beginning of the 16th century grew into New English, existing in this form to this day. Publishers from Merriam-Webster believe that it did not appear on its own, but was established as a result of communication between various groups and nationalities. When America was discovered, the language proceeded along with the first immigrants from the British Empire.
6
The television
The origin of television, even now, is the subject of heated debate between applicants for the championship. However, no one questions the role of John Logie Byrd, the Scottish engineer he played in the development of modern television. Over time, his work allowed the opening of the first television channel in the United States in 1928.
Two years earlier, Byrd had given a television presentation in his London lab. A year later, he was shown the transmission of television pictures through a telephone line. And on February 8, 1928, his invention “crossed” the Atlantic and made a real revolution in the States. Of course, the mechanical version of Byrd’s television has undergone many changes, however, flipping through thousands of channels on the plasma, remember that it was this engineer who did everything possible for our everyday leisure.
7
ATM
Today, inserting your bank card into an ATM, you take out banknotes without feeling any miracle (although the first ATMs in our country caused an unprecedented stir). But, it is worth studying the history of its appearance, and you will understand that the ATM has made a real revolution in the field of consumer finance. The first operating ATM was located at a branch of Barclays Bank in north London in 1967. He was invented by the Scot John Shepherd-Barron, who claims that the idea was born at the moment when he was late for the closure of his bank branch.
Soon, the ATM virus spread throughout Britain, and Barclays deployed ATM wherever it could. Two years later, the whole world began to introduce the practice of issuing cash through ATMs, so 1969 is considered the year of ATMs.
8
Submarine
The modern version of the submarine, which is used as the main weapon of the U.S. Navy today, was invented by John Philip Holland in the second half of the XIX century. This miracle of technology was built by combining three technologies: an internal combustion engine, an electric battery and an electric motor. The first model of his submarine was rejected by the military due to low utility, however, the following developments were successful. Soon, Holland's submarines acquired many countries for use during the First World War.
From the Second World War to the present day, submarines play a crucial role in battles at sea. They allow you to place a huge number of missiles and warheads, and "carry" them under water, hiding from the enemy.
Nevertheless, it will be useful to note that Holland was an Irishman (and Ireland’s “love” for the British has been known since ancient times), and the first submarine of the inventor was bought by the Americans.
9
Postage Stamp
The use of the first postage stamp is dated May 6, 1840. A small sticker in the corner of the envelope, then, was not a hunter for philatelists, but a necessary item for sending mail. The first stamp was called "Black Penny" (the name is explained by the cost of the product), and its invention is due to the postal reform of Sir Rowland-Hill. This reform involved a reduction in the cost of sending letters throughout the British Isles. The sender paid for the transfer of the letter by purchasing and placing in the corner of the envelope a small piece of colored paper.
In the photo: Black penny
Modern manufacturers of stamps carry out this printing product in various designs and forms, the very first stamp was painted black with the image of Queen Victoria. Now, when buying another brand for sending letters, you will know that the British helped us in this industry, simplifying the process of correspondence and making it a “headache” for many collectors.
10
Tank
Let's go back to 1915, namely, to September 6, when Little Willy was born. He was the first of his kind and could destroy everything in his path. You don’t think that we are talking about a child? Little Willy is the first tank to roll out of an English factory. Its weight was 14 tons, and the speed did not exceed 3.2 km / h. Nevertheless, he gave impetus to the development of the tank industry, which allowed to decide the outcome of two world wars. The idea to create a tank came up with the British Colonel Ernest Swinton and the Secretary of the Empire Defense Committee William Hankey.
In the photo: the first tank "Little Willy"
The first battle using a tank occurred in 1916, which showed the extraordinary effectiveness of the machine. By the beginning of World War II, and especially during the Persian conflict, tanks began to play a key role in land battles.
It is also worth noting that almost at the same time as the English, the French and Russians presented their tank models. In any case, if you hear about the exceptionalism of the American army and their role as pioneers in the development of any weapon, remember the history of the invention of tanks, which will make you smile condescendingly.