[the scotsman]

To avoid more sarcasm and meet your points, I know all the history, for the reasons given earlier.

My point was that it is very easy to blame ‘the English’ for ills committed by Scots working on the orders of the Crown. In other words, blame an entire people for actions ordered by one man and carried out by Scots. Blaming the English or ‘the British’ (an identification which Americans usually get wrong) is lazy history.

And that Crown, btw, was one with Scottish roots itself. The Hanoverians sat on the throne because of George I being the Protestant German cousin of the Scottish Stuart dynasty (1603-1649, 1660-1714), as he was the grandson of Princess Elizabeth, a Scottish princess who was the daughter of James I.

As to ‘England’ and ‘Britain’, I posted what I did because most people outside the UK wrongly equate England and UK/Great Britain/Britain to be exactly the same. The latter names being just other names for England. And that of course is not correct.

[dennisw]

You are correct. I don’t know the difference and I make the effort. So what are other Americans left with

[Tainan]

Point taken.
It is usually better to post to the lowest common denominator to avoid having to explain too much. It seems that you're an "Up the Empire!" man. Well enough - one has to believe in something so as to not fall for anything...or something like that. Politics is a scurrilous trade and has always been so. traitors come in all colo(u)rs...even blue. Point well made.

As to origins, both my Father and Mother were Sottish immigrants to the U.S.A.
(I, however, seem to have not inherited the sarcasm gene so thoroughly a part of the Brit genetic code.)
Fathers side from Larnarkshire, the 'Hamilton' area. Mothers was fom the same - but most of her family, the ones who lived, either ran to the London area or became involved in the shipping business. That led to some sad, albeit profitable, results. Heads rolled at the Tower, blockade running to the Colonies and a bit of land "granted" in Virginia.
All before my time, of course.

Adjunct status at the local Uni here also. All in english of course. Various areas.