Sunday, October 19, 2008
The Melting Pot
I found it very interesting that the language of the English government during the time of the Norman rule and until the fifteen hundreds was French. My view of England has changed. England was a melting pot like the United States. Normans (Northmen) and Saxons (Germans) were very involved in the history of England. Of course many of these people came to invade or take over unlike the immigrants in the U.S. The more I learn about history the more race lines become fuzzy. The English descended from Vikings and Germans. So in the future the Germans that stayed in Germany may have bombed a distant distant relative during World War II. I think if people studied history they would see how silly it is to classify people into one group because really we are all related.
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3 comments:
Don't forget the Celts, too! Britons, the original inhabitants of the island, wound up in places like Cornwall and Devonshire. But there were also Celtic populations in Wales and Scotland.
But, then, all areas of Europe were melting pots. There were Celts in France, for example--in Brittany and down in southwestern France, along with a good many Basques there. Parts of Germany had significant Slavic influence, while Germans could be found (after 1200 or so) in large numbers in Hungary, Poland and Bohemia (modern Czech Republic). Down in Italy, the Lombards were so numerous than northwestern Italy is still called Lombardy, there were Normans in southern Italy (after 1050 or so).
And so on. Lots of different folks. The difference between them and the United States is that back in the Middle Ages, each people was either left to its own customs and laws, or else was subjugated to the conqueror's customs and laws. In the U.S., we try to integrate multiple cultures. I've heard it said that we're more like a mixed salad than a melting pot, but it's still politically and culturally far more sophisticated than anything that was even attempted in the Middle Ages.
Geographically, I think that Europe has always had a bit of a melting pot aspect. There are many countries that have very little separation in terms of miles. For example, Belgium, Luxembourg and France are very close together. Even though they have different cultures, I bet that along the borders, the cultures intermix quite a bit. The scale that we deal with as Americans (both past and present)is so much larger than in Europe. From the size of our vehicles and kitchen appliances to even our homes. American houses are generally bigger and are not split level or apartment style as much of Europe is. In America, and especially as you go west, you may actually have a yard with grass. Streets are wider (and not designed for a horse and carriage as many in Europe that exist today were) and cities tend to spread out with what many Europeans would see as wasted space. In the east,and in some larger cities in the U.S. where many immigrants first settled, there is more of a European influence. The city may be large, but it is more condensed. I just think that geography has quite a bit to do with it. It is much easier to have a tossed salad or a melting pot when the ingredients are already relatively close together.
I think you're absolutely right, people think we are all so different... Different cultures, different colors, different races, but we all originated from the same main source. We all are distantly related and more intricately intwined that we even realize. It's too bad that most people are too shallow and simple minded to not be able to look past the obvious and realize we're all in this together and there's no need to hate someone due to their culture, etc. I think you hit on a great point.
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