THREAD: Historian Simon Webb provides the history of the song ‘Rule Brittannia’.
Referring to @BBC’s consideration of Rule Britannia as a Nationalistic song celebrating slavery, Simon said “It’s hard to explain the degree of ignorance involved here in terms of British history.”
Referring to @BBC’s consideration of Rule Britannia as a Nationalistic song celebrating slavery, Simon said “It’s hard to explain the degree of ignorance involved here in terms of British history.”
(2) In the 17th century the seas around Britain were ruled by North African Muslim Slavers. They stopped
British ships and carried off the crews to be sold as slaves in Algiers and Tripoli.
The situation became so bad that fishermen from Devon and Cornwall wouldn’t put out...
British ships and carried off the crews to be sold as slaves in Algiers and Tripoli.
The situation became so bad that fishermen from Devon and Cornwall wouldn’t put out...
(3) ...to sea in case they were captured by North African Slave Traders.
Between 1609 and 1616, 466 British ships were captured by Slave Traders in the English Channel, Irish Sea and North Atlantic, and the crews were sold into slavery.
In 1625 a raiding party landed...
Between 1609 and 1616, 466 British ships were captured by Slave Traders in the English Channel, Irish Sea and North Atlantic, and the crews were sold into slavery.
In 1625 a raiding party landed...
(4) ...at Mount’s Bay in Cornwall and 60 people who had taken refuge in a local church were dragged out, loaded up and taken off to Africa to be sold as slaves.
On 12 August 1625 the Mayor of Plymouth wrote to London for military help after 27 ships had been seized by...
On 12 August 1625 the Mayor of Plymouth wrote to London for military help after 27 ships had been seized by...
(5) ...North African Muslim Slave Traders in just 10 days.
In 1645, 240 people were seized as slaves in Cornwall.
The situation only began to change after the end of the English Civil War when the Royal Navy was built up under Oliver Cromwell...
In 1645, 240 people were seized as slaves in Cornwall.
The situation only began to change after the end of the English Civil War when the Royal Navy was built up under Oliver Cromwell...
(6) By 1700, North African Slavers generally knew better than to bother the British Isles in the search for slaves because of the Royal Navy.
It was a triumph that Britain was finally able to control its own coastal waters.
It was in commemoration of this that...
It was a triumph that Britain was finally able to control its own coastal waters.
It was in commemoration of this that...
(7) ...in 1740, James Thompson wrote ‘Rule Britannia’.
It is a hymn of thanksgiving rather than a proclamation of aggressive Nationalism. #RuleBritannia
It is a hymn of thanksgiving rather than a proclamation of aggressive Nationalism. #RuleBritannia
