What is the British influence on current American culture?

I am teaching a 12th grade British Literature class and I want to start the entire class by exploring some of Britian influences on American culture. I am looking for answers that fall under topics like: fashion, music, art, politics, medicine, media, education, family, social values, etc... Anything along these lines would be helpful. I want to prove/show the students WHY it is important to study British Literature. Thanks!

What is the British influence on current American culture?
british or english? contemporary or classical. You might want to look at some of the movies that are from shakespere, Clueless, romeo and juliet etc. You could go pop culutre and mention anyone from the beatles to the pistols Perhaps you could talk about how we thought of children, puritan vs romantics, look at wordsworth and dickens?


It isn't really important to read british literature, there are some great like orwell and burgess that are really good and enjoyable. What age is 12th grade? would the social situation and experience of burgess and how it led to the writing of clockwork orange be too graphic?


A lot of British writers are concerned with changing social values and that i something we are all aware of now.
Reply:Okay well the only influence that I know of is that americans still use the Imperial Measurements of temperature (F), distance (Miles and yards) etc...even though Britain is long past all that. As is the rest of the world incidently.
Reply:Here's a great article that gives a lot of information on England's influence on New England:


http://www.answers.com/topic/new-england





Even though our society has moved off on a different branch from England, they are the root influence on the US.
Reply:They don't influence America at all, not since the beatles. lol. Your class is pretty much worthless.
Reply:It would be fun to explore, in music, The British Invasion and how a bunch of young artists from the U.K. put their spin on the music that they loved, predominately American rock'n'roll, the blues, r%26amp;b, soul,and country western and in the bargain ended up influencing music and pop culture in the U.S. and the world. I think it would be easy to tie this influence to modern day United States.


Kids are once again wearing long hair popularized by the Brits.
Reply:besides some music and tv shows (redone)





not much else