It's a Mystery!

Critiques [Translate]

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• matt_harris_42 (151)
• [2007-08-20 6:56]

1921 was just after the First World War, which the USA had recently helped Britain to win, so the two countries were quite close allies at that point. But the differences between the countries were still not entirely forgotten,as many Americans still disapproved of European-style imperialism, which was seen as a major cause of the First World War. (I would argue that this was slightly hypocritical of the USA, seeing as they had recently taken Cuba and the Philippines, but this is not the place for my complaints). So the Americans' choice of George Washington, a great symbol of national freedom, as a gift to the British (whose vast Empire had been expanded even further after 1918 by taking German colonies) was perhaps supposed to be a little ironic. Perhaps the British didn't realise this irony. Although it should also be pointed out that in the past many British people admired American democracy (whereas these days it is fashionable for most Europeans to hate America) so the gift may not have been inappropriate. The British were, by the 1920s, giving a lot more freedom to their colonies than before (we did learn something from the American Revolution). This is all conjectural on my part, as I have never seen this statue, but I hope it helps.
Regards,
Matt

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• batalay (15130)
• [2008-09-04 9:15]
• [+]

Hello Lorna,

I was a visiting professor at Oxford some years ago, and I wrote not about it in a book, 'Oxford and the English Countryside.' I touched upon not "why it happened to be England," but "why it was still standing." The statue was given to the people of London by the people of Virginia. But the tongue in cheek explanation had it that the statue fell over a number of times, until it was finally propped up by dirt from Virginia. It is good to see this statue again, so close to the National Gallery of London.

Warm regards,

Bulent