English dominance of America

Part 1 of 4. Introduction

In the June 20 discussion, we will mention 800 years of English influence on the USA. The U.S. preamble’s proposition could have lessened English impositions starting 231 years ago. But the privilege of establishing a better future under the U.S. preamble is ours.

It is not feasible to cover English history and focus on the U.S. events in one meeting, so I’ll do it now and hope readers and participants in the June 20 event are the same or share information they may confirm. Three key events are Magna Carta, 1215; papal bulls in 1454 and 1463; and the English Bill of Rights, 1693.

Part 2 of 4. Early Catholic dominance in England and beyond

Magna Carta, 1215, created a Catholic Clergy-Lords partnership that evolved into the Canterbury-Parliament constitutional power that exists today. Also, it clarified a system of classism that evolved into a mixed constitution with The Sovereign, peers and commoners. In the U.S.A. there should be no commoners.

Papal bulls of 1454-1456 assigned to Portugal the right to “discover” lands in the east of the Americas, to enslave natives, and to enjoy a monopoly in African trade. A papal bull of 1493 assigned to Spain corresponding rights in the west.

Part 3 of 4. Protestantism takes over in England

The English Bill of Rights of 1689 fixed Protestantism, exacerbating competition with the Catholic Church, for example in African trade. England had been locating slaves on the eastern seaboard of America since 1619 and later dominated the Atlantic slave trade.

French Catholicism was an issue in the First Continental Congress, in 1774, settling on 13 English colonies self-styled “states” rather than 14 to include Nova Scotia. See https://www.myhartt.com/families/fourteen_colonies.htm and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Nova_Scotia.

Part 4 of 4. Louisiana was never English-dominated

It is important to note that during these times “discovery” of North America was dominated by Spain, France and England, often at war with each other. Louisiana, a former French colony became a state in 1812 and had not the English traditions that still influence the eastern seaboard.

I mention this post in the June 20 discussion. There, the story viewed from the 13 eastern seaboard (English colonies) begins with England placing slaves there in 1619. The USA began operations in 1789 with intentions to end the slave trade (1808) and slavery (a failed assumption).

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