Tag Archives: modernity

English education – a project to culturally cleanse the English

Posted on March 19, 2012 by

Robert Henderson Ask an English child of 2011 about the iconic dates of English history such as Hastings, Blenheim and Waterloo and your chances of getting a correct answer are very small. Quiz them on who was Alfred the Great  … Continue reading →

Posted in Nationhood, Politics, World influence | Tagged , , , , , | 9 Comments

Human Accomplishment and the English

Posted on December 30, 2011 by

Robert Henderson In his book “Human Accomplishment” the American Charles Murray calculates the contribution to civilisation made by individuals throughout history up until 1950. To give his calculations as much objectivity as possible he measures the amount of attention given … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Nationhood, Politics, World influence | Tagged , , , , | 8 Comments

The English in North America – Locating the Hidden Diaspora

Posted on June 11, 2011 by

http://www.northumbria.ac.uk/browse/ne/uninews/searchenglish  Locating the Hidden Diaspora In search of the English Historians at Northumbria University are embarking on a groundbreaking project to explore why “Englishness” has been overlooked in America, while other ethnic groups are celebrated and well-known. Englishness as an … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Immigration, Nationhood, World influence | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Where are the English-Americans?

Posted on June 11, 2011 by

There are Irish-Americans, Scots-Americans, Scotch-Irish-Americans, Welsh-Americans, Polish-Americans, German-Americans ,  Italian-Americans, Korean-Americans, Mexican Americans, Cuban Americans, Colombian Americans, Dominican Americans, Puerto Ricans, Spanish Americans, and Salvadoran Americans, Chinese-Americans, Japanese-Americans, Iranian-Americans,   and a host of other hyphenated  citizens  in the USA. Sometimes the … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Nationhood, World influence | Tagged , , , , , , | 162 Comments

Notable English technologists and inventors

Posted on April 13, 2011 by

Thomas Savery (1650-1715). Invented the first commercial steam engine -a steam pump.  Thomas  Newcomen (1663-1729).  Improved Savery’s engine by  introducing the piston.   Richard  Trevithick  (1771 – 1833). Invented the  high  pressure  steam engine. Built the first steam locomotive. George Stephenson … Continue reading →

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The development of the franchise in England

Posted on March 11, 2011 by

Serious  disquiet  with the  Commons’ electoral  qualifications, provisions  and practices began  in  Elizabeth’s reign and reached  its highest  pitch,  prior to the 1640s, during the years 1621  to  1623. The discontent  was provoked primarily by the situation  in  the  boroughs … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics, World influence | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

The democratic spirit and the English civil war, Commonwealth and Protectorate

Posted on March 9, 2011 by

Stuart  society  was a world on the  physical,  economic  and  intellectual  move  and waiting to move faster if  the  right  engine  appeared.  The civil wars of the  1640s was  that  machine. Representative  government  is  one  thing,  democracy  quite  another. That … Continue reading →

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The Levellers: the first English radicals

Posted on March 7, 2011 by

Radical has a special meaning in English political history. It describes those whose instincts were democratic although they did not espouse the idea of a full male adult  suffrage let alone a suffrage which included women until very late in … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

England: the mother of modern politics

Posted on March 1, 2011 by

I was tempted to entitle this essay “England – the mother of modern democracy” because  the political structures of any state which calls itself democratic today owe their general shape to the English example. In addition, many modern dictatorships have … Continue reading →

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English liberty and the Peasants’ Revolt

Posted on February 28, 2011 by

Nothing  demonstrates the Englishman’s  long held lack of deference  and desire to be his own man better than the Peasants’  Revolt in 1381. General resentment  of  privilege  and  particular  hostility  to  the imposition  of  a  tax  (the  Poll Tax) considered  to  … Continue reading →

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