Revolutionary War - Charles Kuralt

[kirtu]

Excellent presentation of the US Revolutionary War - however it is quite depressing in it's brutality. Did no religious group try to stop the carnage or the war itself (I think some Quakers did in fact)?

The Americans were split into three camps. It would seem like a fourth POV based on a religious view of reconciliation and non-harming should have been attempted.

Kirt

[Quiet Heart]

Excellent presentation of the US Revolutionary War - however it is quite depressing in it's brutality. Did no religious group try to stop the carnage or the war itself (I think some Quakers did in fact)?

The Americans were split into three camps. It would seem like a fourth POV based on a religious view of reconciliation and non-harming should have been attempted.

Kirt

-----------------------------------
As originally training as a historian...and even specializing in American History...I am quite aware that most Americans are taught in schools to simply accept a biased view of the "American Revolution".
That view is that:
1. All "Americans" were "Patriots"....and they all took up arms against the British.
2. It was the English who were the agressors....we "Americans" just wanted "freedom" from our unjust oppressors.
3. And after "we" (meaning the "americans") won the war...we immeadiately started a government with "freedom amd equality for all citizens".
Any historian would laugh at all those 3 assumptions.
In fact:
1. Aproximately 1/3rd of the population of the Colonies during the American Revolution favored seperation from England, 1/3rd wanted to remain as subjects of the king, and the other 1/3rd were nuetral or had to real love for either side.
2. Many supporters of England were attacked, had there property destroyed, and even forcibly driven out of the Colonies (many went to British controlled Canada) by "Patriot" mobs.
And then there were the African-Americans and the American Indians...both groups whose opinion on the matter was largely ignored anyhow.
3. It was clearly (from a historical viewpoint) British arrogance and stupidity that played a large part in their military defeat. Add to that the invaluable help from the French fleet that brought about the surrender at Yorktown...and the almost treasonable conduct of the British navy who had been directly ordered to go to Yorktown to remove the British Army troops and bring them back to their winter quarters...but that British Navy fleet disobeyed the order and instead was capturing "Rebel" merchant ships in the Carribean and then selling them and their cargos for profit (Making some of the Britsh Admiralty extremely rich).
But, to cut the story short, the popular history of the American Revolution is, in fact, largely a myth created by politicians for their own purposes after the fact.
And regarding the Quackers...yes they were opposed to any armed conflict, except in self-defense if directly attacked.
They, and others also, did try to stop the slide toward violence....but for many reasons, and because of hotheads on both sides....it didn't work.
As in most real-life events, what is taught years later is an over-simplified and biased version of reality.

[catmoon]

And regarding the Quackers...yes they were opposed to any armed conflict, except in self-defense if directly attacked.

Hell hath no fury like a Quacker attacked. They tried to enlist them and they gave them guns, but then they would just waddle away.


Um, you want me to edit this for you?