civil war

  What a vastly different world there would be today if the Royalists had defeated the Roundheads.    Would America exist??

That's quite a tricky question, G!

In a sense the Royalists *did* win, in that the monarchy was restored shortly after the death of Cromwell.

It might be argued that had the Commonwealth continued in its original form (i.e., not so much a dictatorship by Cromwell), there would have been less cause for the English-speaking colonists in N. America to seek separation from the mother country over a hundred years later (a) because the religious sensibilities of the two "countries" would probably have had more in common and (b) the political views of the two would have been better attuned.

But hypothetical history is so difficult, and I'd love to know what others thinK!

PS.  There's an interesting discussion of your question at

http://tinyurl.com/2sugs

  Well i dont think anyone else wants to think about the possibility of there never being a USA.

Actually, this sounds like a very interesting discussion, but unfortunately the civil war isn't a subject I know much about at all.

Why don't you fill us all in on your reasonings?

SAF, I'm so sorry - it's been some time since I was last on this particular board, so I've let your request go unanswered for too long.  

To start with, would it be helpful if I gave a quick resumé as to the major issues of the conflict, and what the consequences were?

I know Charles was killed and his son was raised in exile, and I know a bit about the Restoration.  I'm fairly certain Oliver Cromwell was involved somehow.

But other than that, yes please, because it's a little "out of my period".    I'm usually more into the further-back stuff.

Along that lines, did anyone see Charles II: The Pride and The Passion on the Beeb?  I really enjoyed it; because, as SAF says, it's a little outside of 'my period' too.

  Well i dont think anyone else wants to think about the possibility of there never being a USA.

true but at least if the colonies over there had stayed part of the commonwealth some of us wouldn't have had to go through a lot of immigration traumas/separations from loved ones !!!

  Well im waiting with bated breath howard, as your so elequent with your descriptions of history.