Living on an Island
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One obvious fact about being British is that we live on an island. We are seen to be an island race. Has that made us insular and inward looking as many claim? Do we suffer from the so-called little Englander mentality? History indicates otherwise.
We often look at the sea that surrounds us as a barrier - in one sense it is. In times of war is like a moat. It's protected us from the likes of Hitler, Napoleon, and Louis XIV. But for most of our history the sea was the closest thing to a motorway there was. That's meant we've had our fair share of invaders landing on our shores. Many came to conquer like the Roman, Vikings, Saxons and Normans. Some, like the Dutch, were invited. Until the invention of the railway and the car, travel by land was slow, difficult and dangerous. The way to travel in style and relative safety was by sea. This put us at the centre of an international crossroads. Having mastered navigation we used the sea to build a unique naval empire and explore and trade with the world.
Being an island race and being surrounded by the sea has done the opposite of what you might expect: it has made us cosmopolitan and outward looking. At times it's sheltered us but more often it’s been a launch pad for international success.
We often look at the sea that surrounds us as a barrier - in one sense it is. In times of war is like a moat. It's protected us from the likes of Hitler, Napoleon, and Louis XIV. But for most of our history the sea was the closest thing to a motorway there was. That's meant we've had our fair share of invaders landing on our shores. Many came to conquer like the Roman, Vikings, Saxons and Normans. Some, like the Dutch, were invited. Until the invention of the railway and the car, travel by land was slow, difficult and dangerous. The way to travel in style and relative safety was by sea. This put us at the centre of an international crossroads. Having mastered navigation we used the sea to build a unique naval empire and explore and trade with the world.
Being an island race and being surrounded by the sea has done the opposite of what you might expect: it has made us cosmopolitan and outward looking. At times it's sheltered us but more often it’s been a launch pad for international success.
From the History Channel podcast 'Things that make us British?'
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