English Influences In The United States (1950)

[Music] Middleboro is a small town in Massachusetts but it could be almost any town in the United States what makes Middleboro a typical American Town what can we find here that represents the American way of life we find that people can go to the church of their choice and worship as they please the children go to schools where they learn to read and write the English language the citizens have the right to hold meetings to take part in managing their local local Affairs and to elect representatives in government in this average American Community we'll find that the names of some of the citizens are of English origin names such as Alden Brown Lee and others English names and language are among the many things we have inherited from the land we see here England from England came some of the first people to settle in America English colonists who cross the Atlantic and established the first permanent English settlement at Jamestown in 167 a few years later in 1621 the Plymouth Colony was founded by the pilgrims more and more colonists mostly Englishmen settled along the Atlantic coast until there were 13 colonies the northern colonies were called New England after the mother country from which these people had come England hundreds of place names were brought from England Georgia was named after an English king as were Jamestown and Charleston Plymouth was named after the English Port from which the pilgrims sailed Boston was settled by Puritans from Boston England New Hampshire was named after the English County of Hampshire and the name New Jersey came from the English aisle of Jersey and many other names of places were brought from England New England was in many ways similar to the old England in climate and appearance but here in America the English settlers found more land more opportunity for the common man some of the characteristics of these English colonists their perseverance their courage their pioneering Spirit were important influences in the building of our nation in the crude cabins of such settlements as Salem and Plymouth family life in America began as the colonists prospered they built Better Homes homes that reflected English customs and English family life these early American houses were often similar to the English farmhouses that the colonists had known this is a farmhouse in England not is how it resembles this early American house and today 250 years after this house was built we still build houses with the overhanging Second Story and other features of this style the simple Furnishings show us that these early English settlers were plain sturdy folk to their new homes in America the English settlers brought the closely knit Family Life they had known in England the Family Bible was part of every home part of the religious faith that the English brought with them many groups of Englishmen such as the Puritans came to America to avoid religious persecution here they built their own meeting houses and churches where they could worship as they pleased this idea of freedom to worship was very important to the English colonists gradually from this search for Religious Freedom they developed the idea of religious tolerance the religious tolerance that is part of our American Life today in the same way that we inherited certain religious beliefs from England we also inherited certain political beliefs the colonial lawmakers who met in such places as the old state house in Boston understood the meaning of freedom justice and human rights because these ideas had been developed in England England during the struggles with English kings today the Royal symbols on the State House of Boston remind us that the early colonists lived under an English government in colonial towns such as Williamsburg Virginia we can trace some of these ideas of English government ideas that left a lasting influence on life in America among these ideas were the rights of men to vote and to take part in managing their local Affairs in the colonial legislatures men exercised and strengthened these rights making them a vital part of American Life the idea of self-government which came from England and was strengthened in the colonies had tremendous influence in the development of our form of democracy today our right to vote is a part of our English Heritage closely associated with the right to vote is the right of free speech the right to discuss our problems this idea too goes back to English influences that molded American Life the colonists practiced freedom of the press and freedom of speech rights they had inherited from England there were many other ideas which came from England were modified here in the colonies and then passed on to the growing Nation a good example of centuries of English influence is this particular style of architecture called Georgian this is a Georgian Manor House in England this is a Georgian house in America built in colonial times and this is a Georgian house that you might see being built in any American Community today let's go back to the Georgian House of colonial times and go inside to look for more examples of English influences the house is filled with Furnishings of English designs Styles which still influence the Furnishings in our homes today the furniture style called Chippendale is of English origin heel white is another English furniture style which we find in this colonial home and in our homes today in the library of this early American home we find books of English literature English law and English History subjects that we study today as part of our American culture what else can we find in this colonial home the portrait of this American colonist looks very much like a man of the English aristocracy and indeed we must remember that many of our early American leaders were Englishmen by birth Education and Training George Washington who came of an Old English family showed the dignity and the manners of an English Country Gentleman John Adams was the son of English parents men like these were proud of their rights as Englishmen largely because they believed in these rights they wrote the Declaration of Independence which stated that certain human rights could not be denied to them and their posterity after the Declaration was signed in Independence Hall the ideas of federal government influenced by English ideas gradually took shape finally there evolved a new American government a government founded on certain human rights the right to govern ourselves the right to worship as we please the right of free speech and assembly the right of trial by jury we the people enjoy these rights as part of our American Heritage a Heritage which owes much to English influences today when we vote in an election or meet to discuss Community problems we are following some of the ideas that English settlers brought to our country in this average American community meeting for instance we can find many English influences some of the people here are descendants of English colonists the language being used is English in this kind of democratic discussion we have freedom of speech and freedom of assembly each person has the right to express his views to take part in local Affairs and the meeting is conducted according to the rules of parliamentary procedure rules which come from the English Parliament yes there are many influences which have come from England and gone into the making of of our American way of life our language and Customs our Democratic ideas of government our religious freedom our architecture in these ideas and many more we can trace our English Heritage the English influences that we can find in every community in our [Music] land