Hello everyone, in just a few hours I will be on my way to England and the
University of Exeter. I'm flying into Heathrow Airport and then taking the
train from there, so naturally I don't have any exciting photos or travel
stories quite yet. Instead of that, I'll get the ball rolling with a bit of
background.
In ancient times, the British Isles had the unfortunate tendency to be
invaded... a lot. The Celts, the Romans, the Anglo-Saxons, the Vikings, and
many others all laid claims to the island at one time or another, in many cases
permanently settling down on the island. Finally, after William the Conqueror
crowned himself king after the Battle of Hastings, the English came together
and decided that from then on they weren't going to be invaded anymore. Since,
with the exception of several members of the nobility who commandeered foreign
armies to lay claim to kingship, no foreign power has conquered the nation,
despite many failed attempts (the Spanish Armada, the Nazi Luftwaffe, the
Martians in
War of the Worlds). Rather, the English decided that, from
then on, they would be the ones doing the conquering. While France, Scotland,
Ireland, and the Holy Land occupied much of the English's time during the
Middle Ages, the age of discovery and the Industrial Revolution brought the
English power over Australia, India, parts of North America, the Middle East,
large portions of Africa, and parts of East Asia. As the old saying goes, at
the height of its power, "the sun never set on the British Empire"
while that empire has shrunk considerably since the end of the Second World
War, England (as part of the UK) continues to weld significant clout on the
global stage, both in regards to its former territories and its, occasionally
reluctant, membership in the EU.
But beyond its empire, British (which I understand is different from being
English) culture remains a powerful force in the world. In terms of literature,
film, and television the cultural lexicon of the world is enriched by
characters found in England. In literature, Elizabeth Bennett, Sherlock Holmes,
Harry Potter, Jane Eyre, King Arthur, Oliver Twist, Bilbo and Frodo Baggins,
and many others have dominated the discussion. In film and television, Dr. Who,
James Bond, and the entire cast of Downton Abbey are just as popular in America
as they are in England. In politics, the seeds of democracy were replanted in
the Western World when a group of angry nobles forced King John to sign the
Magna Carta. From then on, the power of the monarchs began to decrease (King
George III is considered to have been the last king to have had any significant
political power). Indeed, British political thought helped shaped the course
American republic, even as we Americans sought to break the chains that had
connected us with "the mother country." John Locke's works were
widely read among the Founding Fathers and many of his words found their way
into the Declaration of Independence the phrase "life, liberty, and the
pursuit of happiness" was originally written by Locke as "life,
liberty, and property."
So naturally, England has a lot to offer, and I can't wait to arrive and
start learning all about it. Cheerio!
