The British burned down Washington D.C.???? Exactly 200 years ago today????

[belamyi]

I once ran across an alternate history I truly enjoyed, where William also conquered Wales, and then Ireland, with the help of the Scots who became part of the kingdom by marriage. In the novel, he had three sons; one inherited the combined throne, one went back to rule Normandy, and the other went off and took over Iceland. At the time the actual story was set in, the combined forces of those united realms were fighting to knock the French back out of Normandy, which they'd taken a chunk of, and William's grandson, the High King, had gotten the Danes to join in, so there were English, Irish, Welsh, Scots, Normans, and Danes all fighting the French.

That is what Spaniards would call "a mental wank": high on speed and Viagra, may I add...

 

[belamyi]

I'd agree with that. Northmen conquered and gave the area the name Normandy (north-man-dy), while other northmen conquered smaller bits over in England, so when William crossed the channel to invade, he was facing distant kin.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/bigphotos/images/060920-lucy_big.jpg

 

[SLOPPYSECONDS]

That is what Spaniards would call "a mental wank": high on speed and Viagra, may I add...

ha

thankyou

 

[Alnitak]

Yes, and the Battle of Baltimore took place a few weeks later, except we were able to fend that one off. Good thing too as B'more was one of the largest cities in the US at the time, while the towns that made up the federal district were quite small. Government buildings were still under construction, including the US Capitol.

Some of those serving in government at the time would have remembered the revolutionary war in the 1770s when major cities were occupied and many times Congress had to pack up in the middle of the night and flee for another town.

 

[RaKroma]

But can the Royal Navy even reach Murika now?

 

[Alnitak]

But can the Royal Navy even reach Murika now?

The Royal Navy has been blue water since the Age of Discovery.

 

[Kulindahr]

The Royal Navy has been blue water since the Age of Discovery.

They sort of defined "blue water" navy.

 

[DonQuixote]

Belamo,
Neil and I have had conversations about the War of 1812 before - we live in one of the headier battle zones - Lake Ontario region.

I found the "filter" applied to our respective schooling interesting - because we, on the American side, minimized the successful push back by the Canadian Colonists - accentuating our ultimate "victory" in keeping our country and breaking the bad habits of Mother England.

 

[Vitamin]

What? From when on "until 1781"?

I knew from 1066 to 1763 British History was French History but... American?! EVER?!!


Oh... silly me... silly copulative sentences... yeah, that is rightly expressed that way.
So I should have written: "from 1066 to 1763, French History is British History".

An Anglo-centric view would be from 1607 when the first successful British colony(Jamestown) was established. Of course plenty of other Europeans came in before then, and still afterwards. It would still be awhile before England would come to dominate North America.

 

[Rickrock]

You learn something new every day. I know about the White House being burned, but there were a lot more comments in this thread that I didn't know about.

 

[cgymike]

Russia could wipe out London in 20 minutes. Saturation bombing.

 

[SLOPPYSECONDS]

needull point
_maybe aliens blow out candulls next planet earth anninvasry_
&ooh wot a tis?&

SSSSSH"

anyway

 

[vulgar_newcomer]

A important battle for the USA came early in the war out to sea southeast of Halifax, Nova Scotia. Sailing out of Annapolis Maryland on the Chesapeake bay was the USS constitution.

The Royal Navy had 85 vessels in American waters, but the young barely 20 yr old USA Navy only had a total of 22. England ruled the seas. After a few skirmishes and pursuits the USS Constitution and the HMS Guerriere exchanged fire. The Guerriere took heavy hits but the cannon fire bounced off the USS Constitution hull. A British sailor said "Huzzah! Her sides are made of iron". The main yard (mast) on the Guerriere was brought down. It was a classic close range sea battle.
A important victory , a prize British war ship captured, but couldn't be salvaged as the Guerriere was sinking and was scuttled. A very demoralizing event for the British Navy.

It wasn't just that the USS Constitution "Old Ironside" had a new and unique hull design. It was the fact that the wood was much thicker and the tree was the southern Live Oak. A oak wood the British didn't have to construct ships. The live Oak is a coastal American tree from southern Virginia through the Caribbean. Its wood is very strong a design through the evolution of inhabiting the wet humid hurricane prone area perhaps? Cannon balls fired even at close range bounce off of Live Oak planks. Other popular woods for building ships out of not of the same quality.
These are the short but huge spreading trees one relates to in movies or pictures of the south draped with Spanish moss leading up the long drive to a antebellum plantation mansion.

Though the war of 1812 is not well known, many people regardless of history have heard of "old ironside" yet do not know anything about the name, ship, or the war. Much like the nations national anthem. Many think these events occurred in the revolutionary war.

 

[SLOPPYSECONDS]

nice see put a wood a gurd of use ans organic too
_ans recyculls too_

tinkyyou

 

[DonQuixote]

The USS Constitution is the oldest ACTIVELY Commission Ship in the WORLD.
She calls the Port of Boston her home.

​

​

​

http://www.history.navy.mil/ussconstitution/

 

[Alnitak]

^^ I don't suppose it could sail around the world with missile launchers attached to it?

But yeah she whipped the Brits good in her heydey.

 

[Vitamin]

^^ I don't suppose it could sail around the world with missile launchers attached to it?

But yeah she whipped the Brits good in her heydey.

I believe its mostly used for diplomatic missions, but it still does sail the seas. I seem to remember it going to South America one time in the 2000s.

 

[Benvolio]

The USS Constitution is the oldest ACTIVELY Commission Ship in the WORLD.
She calls the Port of Boston her home.

View attachment 1063250



View attachment 1063248



View attachment 1063249



http://www.history.navy.mil/ussconstitution/

Wikepedia says that HMS Victory, Lord Nelson's flagship at Trafalgher is the olderst commissioned ship.

 

[DonQuixote]

You missed the Footnote 1 on the Wiki site on the HMS Victory.


Footnotes

Although 30 years younger, USS Constitution is the oldest commissioned warship still afloat.


The HMS Victory is in Dry Dock and being used as a museum. It has the essentially honorary title of Flagship of the First Lord.
\

Since this contract was placed, the most significant change has been on 6 March 2012, when ownership of the ship was transferred from the Ministry of Defence to a dedicated HMS Victory Preservation Trust, established as part of the National Museum of the Royal Navy.[77] According to the Royal Navy website, the move was "heralded by the announcement of a £25 million capital grant to support the new Trust by the Gosling Foundation – a donation which has been matched by a further £25 million from the MOD" .[78]

The USS Constitution is used as a training ship for the Navy, and does sail to various ports of call for Tall Ship enactments.
It is a fully commissioned, seaworthy, Battleship of the US Navy.

 

[Yooper]

"The Star Spangled Banner" was inspired by the War of 1812.

"And the rocket's red glare,
The bombs bursting in air.
Gave proof through the night
That our flag was still there.

"There" was Fort McHenry (in Maryland), for what its worth.

Found a lovely performance of the ORIGINAL lyrics for the tune used for the Star Spangled Banner:



(Since I'm on a terrible connection out in the middle of nowhere, I'll let you, if interested, go elsewhere to read the lyrics: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/To_Anacreon_in_Heaven )