Here is the audio, video, and transcript. Here is a summary of the episode:
Tyler and Taylor take an early history walking tour across North America covering the decisions, and the upheavals of those decisions, that revolution and independence, including why Canada didn’t join the American revolution, why America didn’t invade Canada (and who would have won), America’s preoccupation with the fall of the Republic , how democratic the Jacksonians were, the Texas/Mexico dispute over fugitive African American slaves, America’s refusal to recognize Cuba’s independence, how many American Tories went north after the revolution, Napoleon III War with Mexico, why the US Government considered invading Canada after of the Civil War, and much more.
Here is one episode:
COWEN: Now, here’s a quote from your writings, page 37: “One of the most ironic things about the American Revolution is that it led to a free settlement for British Canadians while providing valuable land to the United States.” Could you explain that, please?
TAYLOR: Of course. The war was expensive. All the states and the United States also have huge debts. How will you pay for that? This was a time when there was no income tax, and the main ways governments could raise money was through import taxes and the sale of land. The land was great, as long as you could take it from the native people. All the states and the United States have been in the business of trying to sell land, but they also depend within the states on these land taxes. All these go up, then, to try to finance the war debt.
Whereas in British Canada, the British government subsidizes the local government. They paid off all its property, which meant property taxes were very low there. It also meant that they could offer land to attract settlers. They had this idea that if we gave free land to the American people, they would want to leave that new American republic, go back to the British Empire, fortify Canada, and provide an army to defend it.
Important and interesting throughout. And can you guess what about his answers surprised me the most?
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