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| World history takes a major turn today in 1781 as British forces under Gen Cornwallis surrender to the combined armies of American Gen George Washington and French Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, comte de Rochambeau in Yorktown, Virginia. This is the last major battle of the American War of Independence and assures freedom of the USA.
beaten by a bunch of tax-dodgers and cheese-eaters. how embarrassing.
And to think how much I love Virginia.
If you've never been to Yorktown you should go. It's really well done - together with Jamestown and Williamsburg it's a great couple of days. At Jamestown we're the good guys, get to Yorktown and we're Al Qaeda. |
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Location: Yucaipa, California | ...didn't Corwallis just send his sword, carried by his Aide de-camp out to be handed to the French General, thus technically surrendering to the French and not the Americans.....and really pi$$ing off Washington? |
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Location: Yucaipa, California | ...ok, so I can't edit that post.... here's the "real" scoop: Surrender at Yorktown (PBS) |
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Location: Minden, Nebraska | So farm Al Qaeda hasn't let themselves get trapped on a peninsula with their backs to the sea. So, Cornwallis doesn't get that much credit. |
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| That was just cruel. They lost the compass.
I went to an Islamic birthday party yesterday. Musical Chairs was played very slow but Pass The Parcel really moved. |
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Location: Budd Lake, NJ | At least the rebellious children grew up and came back to help "Mum" in 1917 and 1944--it just took a bit of time, that's all. ;)
--Karen |
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Location: Nashville TN. | Originally posted by Tim Chapman:
...didn't Corwallis just send his sword, carried by his Aide de-camp out to be handed to the French General, thus technically surrendering to the French and not the Americans.....and really pi$$ing off Washington? He attempted too
The french refused it and I believe Washington Had a subordnate accept it. |
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Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | Why it is we didn't annex the whole of Britain is still a mystery to me. |
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Location: Upper Left USA | Because the Dental Coverage was cost prohibitive!
Have a safe weekend all... |
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Location: East Tennessee | Originally posted by MWoody:
Because the Dental Coverage was cost prohibitive!
Have a safe weekend all... Is this do to drinking warm beer? :confused: :D |
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Location: Sunshine State, Australia | Originally posted by Jeff W.:
Why it is we didn't annex the whole of Britain is still a mystery to me. Well, 200 years ago, THOUSANDS of Britons did silly things like steal a loaf of bread to get a free trip to Australia. (Real criminals got executed :( ) So, if the locals didn't like it, why annex it? :D
BTW, I didn't realise that France had actually WON a war.  |
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Location: North Carolina | I'd often wondered why this was the defining battle of the war; I mean, we didn't exactly sack London and seize the Crown Jewels. So why was it over? I asked this question at Yorktown and the short answer was the British just said, "Screw this. We're goin' home." |
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Location: Upper Left USA | Every militia force, whether national or multi-national, is limited by its initial size (funding & motivation), ability to re-stock and reenforce (funding & motivation) and its Technology (more funding & motivation).
If Cornwall proved unsuccessful there wouldn't be any more funding (provided by the Colony) and motivation would dissipate.
For further examples go and rent "Red Dawn". |
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Location: Minden, Nebraska | Originally posted by First Alternate:
I'd often wondered why this was the defining battle of the war; I mean, we didn't exactly sack London and seize the Crown Jewels. So why was it over? I asked this question at Yorktown and the short answer was the British just said, "Screw this. We're goin' home." More like, "Screw this, we're bringing them home." The initial rebellion was expected to be shortlived, but it became an insurgency that became a full-blown war as time went on, with the rebels aided by an enemy of Britain. The war became increasingly expensive and as the casualty rate rose for Royal troops, it becaue equally unpopular in Parliament. The war could have continued, but Yorktown was a significant enough defeat to convincingly turn the tide of opinion.
There are obvious parallels but they are limited, so please dont take this as a political rant. I'm just attempting to show what happened at Yorktown in way that makes it easier to understand. |
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| Paul B is absolutely correct - in the British Parliament speaker after speaker sided with you guys. Popular support was yours - no taxation without representation. Only the King wanted to stomp on you - kings have this thing about not seeing their kingdoms reduced in size. But by then we had our monarchs under some kind of control and Parliament wouldn't give him anymore money to fight the war.
If only Congress......
And we gave you a language, democracy, a legal system and the Beatles, so be nice and don't gloat. (Tho I apologise about Andrew Lloyd Webber and Ozzy and Sharon. Nowhere's perfect). |
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Location: NJ | You forgot Madonna.
. . . oh, that's right . . . she's "ours" . . . :rolleyes: |
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| Any chance you want her back? |
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Location: NJ | nah. |
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Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | and why it is Fish&Chips never caught-on, I'll never know |
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Location: closely held secret | It wasn't the fish&chips... it's the disgusting habit of drowning them in vinegar first. |
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| Splash dear boy, splash. No need to submerge them.
Americans, no restraint. |
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Location: NJ | It's the same with pasta, Schroed.
The average American insists on DROWNING it in sauce . . . |
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Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | Pass the Ketchup! |
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Location: NJ | :D |
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| And don't get him started on the chili.... |
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Happy Anniversary
