Before the revolution in America, the UK had been transporting convicts to the colonies for many years. As a result, there was a significant number of prisoners in colonial America. It is believed that the state of Georgia was established as a penal colony. After the revolution, the UK began sending convicts to Australia instead.
USA
“Born in the U.S.A” by Bruce…
“Born in the U.S.A” by Bruce Springsteen reached higher on the charts in Ireland, the UK, Australia, New Zealand and the Netherlands than it did in the U.S.A.
There is a street that is split…
There is a street that is split down the middle by the USA-Canadian border, aptly named Canusa street. People who live in houses on the south side of the street are in the USA, and the north side, in Canada. Crossing the street requires having to report to the border crossing office.
“This Land Is Your Land,” by Woody Guthrie…
“This Land Is Your Land,” by Woody Guthrie, a popular American folk song among patriots, was originally created as a criticism of Capitalism and the U.S. government by a Communist labor organizer.
The women who work in the garment…
The women who work in the garment recycling industry in India have a theory that because of a water shortage in the West, it must be cheaper to buy new clothes than to wash them. This explains why so many clothes are discarded barely worn.
A small town in Minnesota attempted…
A small town in Minnesota attempted to secede from the United States, as it could not get funding to fix it’s water system, and believed that it would be easier to accept foreign aid. It received it’s first “aid” in the form of a Ford squad car, and 10 cases of Jeno’s Sausage Pizza Mix.
Happiness and life satisfaction…
Happiness and life satisfaction among United States adolescents, which increased between 1991 and 2011, suddenly declined after 2012. By 2016-17, both adults and adolescents were reporting significantly less happiness than they had in the 2000s.
US: Most common language spoken at home rather than English or Spanish
“This map shows the most commonly spoken language in every US state, excluding English and Spanish”, by Andy Kiersz and Ivan De Luce, Business Insider (1/18/20)
The micronation of the Conch Republic…
The micronation of the Conch Republic seceded from the United States in 1982. They declared war on April 23rd 1982 and surrendered 1 minute after the declaration so they could apply for foreign aid.
On 7 May 1999, the United States…
On 7 May 1999, the United States bombed a Chinese Embassy and claimed it was a mistake. The incident is still brought up in meetings.