A Long Losing Spree

Nostalgic Britons lamented the hand-over of Hong Kong to China this week as the loss of the last great jewel in the crown of a once-mighty empire. But at least it was a voluntary, long-planned and bloodless passing of power.

The same couldn’t be said for the first of Britain’s jewels to be wrenched away, in an event we honor today by celebrating American Independence Day.

As with most of the British outposts, the American colonies started out as a bright economic prospect for London. Alas for Britain, the upstart Americans became more of a nuisance than a blessing as they chafed under the rule of King George III and agitated for self-determination. And that is why the sun first began to set on the British empire at Philadelphia 221 years ago.

After the familiar rhetoric of its opening paragraphs, the Declaration of Independence becomes a detailed indictment of the king’s treatment of the colonies. These misdeeds, the colonists said, amounted to nothing less than “absolute tyranny.”

Finally came the declaration--that henceforth the colonies were independent states free from any allegiance or obligation to the British crown. To this end, the signers pledged “our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor.”

The fighting had begun the previous year. Until Philadelphia, however, the Americans could not agree on whether to settle for some measure of autonomy within the British system or make a total break with London. After July 4, 1776, there was no going back.

The war lasted five more years and the new nation’s fate often was in doubt. The outcome was not certain until Lord Cornwallis, overwhelmed by American and French forces, laid down his sword at Yorktown Oct. 19, 1781.

After that, in time, the dominoes toppled. Canada, Australia, India and a host of others. And now, Hong Kong. The British empire is now down to a scattering of small islands, of which the jewel among them is the Atlantic island colony of Bermuda. It’s a mere two-hour flight from Philadelphia, that seat of American revolution.

Bermudans in 1997 have the best of both worlds. They enjoy the sorts of freedoms the American colonists rebelled for. And they enjoy prosperity, thanks in large part to the throng of U.S. tourists who delight in parting with dollars to buy British woolens, china and whiskey.