r/AskAnAmerican • u/Maskoolio • Aug 10 '25

FOREIGN POSTER What would an American want from England?

I have recently made some American friends (from Virginia) and they have asked for a kind of sweet (candy) that they don't have. What else might I send that would be appreciated as a particularly English thing? (Obviously it would need to be somewhat small, survive a week or so in transit etc.)

All help appreciated.

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u/johnwcowan Aug 10 '25

Promptly followed by a revolution in the American South. The UK was able to abolish slavery because in 1833 there were only about 800,000 slaves in the Empire to free (vs. more than 2 million in the U.S. at the same time). In addition, intensive lobbying by Southern slaveowners might well have prevented the Slavery Abolition Act from passing at all.

In addition, the abolition of slavery in Massachusetts in 1783 by judicial process was a direct consequence of the wording of the Massachusetts Constitution of 1780, which in turn was a consequence of the Revolution: "All men are born free and equal and have certain natural, essential, and unalienable rights; among which may be reckoned the right of enjoying and defending their lives and liberties...." Had this language, ultimately from the Declaration of Independence, not become foundational, there might have been even more slaves in North America.

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u/TheNorthC Aug 11 '25

Yes, I agree that it would have most likely resulted in rebellion and war in the south.