Very interesting indeed, somewhat different from Hollywood's version of American history.

There are some interesting parallels with our early history, particularly the involuntary transportation of the "dregs"of English society to the colonies and the devastating war against the indigenous people.

I've never been able to understand why Americans claim that a Republic founded by a slave-owning oligarchy was inspired by the principles of liberty.

Before the First Fleet transportation to the colonies was a British punishment for crimes. Convicts were transported to the North American British colonies. During the American Revolution barges filled with convicts lined the banks of the Thames as they could not be transported to North America. The Treaty of Peace between the United States and Great Britain was signed at Paris in 1783. During Cook's second voyage of 1768-1771 he mapped the east coast of Australia. In 1788 the first fleet arrived in Australia with convicts from Great Britain. The populations of both the US and Australia have convict ancestry, but the Australians are more open about it.

david f

"The populations of both the US and Australia have convict ancestry, but the Australians are more open about it."

Yes, and some Americans at least, seem quite ignorant and surprisingly snobbish about their mistaken belief that the US was founded by a "better class of people", my counter to this is usually--- "America was founded by some of the worst criminals in history---slave owners".

Ancestor worship is pretty much crap, we all have a billion ancestors.

Welcome to human nature, not only in America but worldwide. Slavery still exists in countries all over the world. Slaves still exist in the millions. Also when the writer of this article and we posters as well, buy cheap goods from undeveloped nations we
are all benefiting and profiting from slavery. Many young children are enslaved in the production of chololate for example. Doesn’t stop any of us here from eating it though does it.

How many men who decry America, in Australia, visit Bali and
indulge in the cheap sexual slave trade over there.
It is human nature to take advantage of others when it is of benefit to the self.
We just kid ourselves that it is the bad others and turn a blind eye to our own part in slave labour and exploitation every day.
America is guilty of not
facing the truth about our true natures as are most people in this world even the posters on this article

Why & what is it that makes some keep on reminding us how bad Colonists have been as if those who were invaded never had conflicts among themselves in the interest of self-preservation before the colonists arrived ?
I say leave that to the history lessons in schools, unsanitised preferably & stop tearing at the scab & let the wounds heal.
It's those who constantly bleat peace & good will who keep stirring the pot. Let's make a deal; stop bringing up the past wrongs which can not be righted & the colonists will keep on providing or keep bringing it up & the colonists will stop providing.
No matter how you approach it all you can not undo the past but by employing a couple of ounces of sense we can right all the present wrongs which would be way more beneficial to all. Most of our present woes are only hypocrisy & feigned indignation anyway. Authority incompetence comes a close third.

I visited Bali with my wife and practiced sexual outercourse.