OSHER 917 - The End of Empire? The American Revolution and the British Empire

Seen through American eyes, July 4, 1776 marks a triumphant moment: the birth of a bold new nation committed to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Through British eyes, the American Revolution looked quite different. This course will examine America through the lens of Britain's Empire. Topics include the imperial dimensions of the Boston Tea Party, British views of the America war, the treachery of Benedict Arnold, Irish participation on both sides in the war, the fate of empire on Britain's Caribbean islands, and the odyssey to Australia to found a new penal colony now that the American colonies had achieved their independence.