Scotland referendum
The Scottish independence referendum barely registered here in the United States before the polls of early September showed a substantial swing, even a possible win, for the ‘Yes’ vote. But after that it was the first and last thing anyone wanted to talk to me about, not only in Washington but also throughout the southern states of Georgia and South Carolina where I spent much of the time immediately before, during and after the referendum itself. The US government might have made clear its preference for the kingdom to remain united, but privately many officials were fascinated at the potential for the dissolution of the union. After all, it was 200 years ago almost to the day that America claimed victory in its second war of independence against the British. In the south, almost everyone I spoke with was hoping for a Scottish ‘win’.
I do not know how the referendum or the debate that preceded it appeared in the United Kingdom, but I can make a few observations about how it appeared in the States. Those pressing for a ‘Yes’ vote presented a vision of a proud, dynamic independent Scotland that would harness the energy of its people to build a powerful economy, a vital political culture, and an exciting, positive civil society. The ‘No’ supporters threatened poverty, isolation, and irrelevance. If Americans were Scottish and legible to vote they would clearly and definitely have voted ‘Yes’.
War of 1812
Over the past month there have been major celebrations in Baltimore, the nearest city to DC, to celebrate the American ‘victory’ in the war of 1812. The war, which is little remembered in the UK, is seen over here as the second war of independence against the British. The three-year war began in 1812 when the US (in its first ever declaration of war) fought back against the British press-ganging of American sailors into the Royal Navy. The British were more than happy to retaliate, since they were attempting to stop the burgeoning American slave trade and to thwart US ambitions to annex Canada.
During the war the British burned down Washington, but in 1814 the Royal Navy were prevented from taking the much greater prize of Baltimore only by the stoic resistance mounted by the US at Fort McHenry. Following the successful defence of the city, and on seeing the Stars and Stripes still flying above the fort, the American poet Francis Scott Key, an observer of the battle from behind the British lines, composed the poem that would become the American national anthem, the Star-Spangled Banner. On September 13 this year that event was marked by one of the largest fireworks displays ever conducted on the East Coast, as well as a phenomenal air and sea display by the Blue Angels and navies from around the world – including the Royal Navy.
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