Monday Milestone: America

This Week in History:
1776, July 4,
The American forefathers sign the Declaration of Independence beginning the nation now known as the United States of America

Plenty of people in the Western world could tell you that the fourth of July is an important day for the United States. Plenty of Americans meanwhile are likely to tell you that in 1776, it was the greatest day in the history of mankind, and the moment the greatest country on Earth was created.

But then, Americans are of course, in many cases, unashamedly patriotic and prone to hyperbole. Still there is little argument that the independent nation created that July day when the thirteen rebelling colonies signed a declaration of independence from the British crown, has gone on to become one of the most influential in the world. Perhaps it’s a simple butterfly effect, but what if Thomas Jefferson hadn’t penned on of the most historically significant documents on Earth? Imagine for a moment what we would have missed out on?

There would be no Jesse Owens defying the Fuhrer during the Berlin Olympics at the height of the Nazi movement, when a black man won four gold medals. Actually, the entire Olympic medal count would need a certain amount of redistribution – during the most recent Olympic Games in London, the USA won forty-six gold medals. Superfish Michael Phelps would also belong to another country.

America’s favourite pastime, baseball, may simply not exist. No simple hotdogs and beers at the local ballpark. We’d never know the likes of Hank Aaron, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, Pete Rose, Babe Ruth or his wonderful legacy, the Curse of the Bambino that enthralled generations, both throughout its duration and at its culmination in 2004.

There would of course be no Flushing Meadows. Tennis would be down to three majors, and we certainly wouldn’t have seen proud American Pete Sampras, winning his then record fourteenth major under emotional circumstances, on the first anniversary of 9/11 in New York.

Arguably America’s greatest sporting moment, the ‘Miracle on Ice’ wouldn’t have been such a miracle. It perhaps would have been left to Sweden to tackle the Russians, under a fraction of the political hype, given without the United States, there wouldn’t have been a Cold War.

Now try to imagine a world without any American football. No Super Bowl Sundays. The lost advertising dollars and the distinct lack of Buffalo wings are upsetting. And there would certainly be no Joe Namath guaranteeing the most unlikely victory for the New York Jets back in the 1960s.

Tiger Woods wouldn’t have tamed Augusta National as a 21 year old. The course in Georgia would likely have remained as paddocks. Not to mention we would be down to one golfing major a year with the US Open and the US PGA also disappearing.

These are just a few examples. It boggles the mind to consider everything we would have missed out on. Whilst the founding fathers could not have envisaged what they were creating when they drew up the American constitution that day, love them or loathe them, the United States have been a central figure in sports and world history throughout the generations.

And the world would be a much different place without them.

 Milestone Five: Great American influences

1. Space Race – Would the Russians have put a man on the moon? Probably . But without the Americans and the Cold War, the motivation behind advancing technology so rapidly would not have been there.
2. Hollywood – Over the past century pop culture has been inundated with films and television shows from America. Without the USA we would not have Will Ferrell or Anchorman. Enough said.
3. Wall Street Crash – Have to blame the Yanks for this one – when American sneezes, the rest of the world catches a cold. When they sneezed in 1929, the world caught the Great Depression.
4. Fast food – Has this changed the world anywhere near as much as the other developments? No. But when you have had a few to drink, have a hangover, or are driving somewhere, there are few things better than some deep fried American goodness.
5. Sport – When considered, the four biggest sports in America are baseball, basketball, ice hockey and football. Due to the ‘bigger is better’ philosophy of many Americans, the fanfare and hussle is replicated on the sporting field.

 

With thanks to Flynet Pictures for the photo