“Yankee Doodle” is a well known, unofficial national anthem of the United States, but it wasn’t always a source of pride for Minutemen. An article called “Who was Yankee Doodle?” explains, “as British troops were marching through the countryside to re-enforce soldiers in Lexington, they taunted Minutemen with “Yankee Doodle.” The British government had been raising, and imposing taxes such as, the “Stamp Act of 1765, the Townshend Tariffs of 1767 and the Tea Act of 1773” (History.com AR). Colonists were fed up with *all the unfair taxes, especially since they were not being treated well. The Colonists insisted on having the same rights as the British, which they were not being granted. This lead to heated debates between Britain and the Colonies.…show more content… All other versions by the British make fun of New Englanders. One goes “Yankee Doodle came to town,/ for to buy firelock,/ we will tar and feather him,/ and so we will John Hancock.” The British disliked Hancock because he “used his wealth and influence to aid the movement for American independence” (History.com, JH). The only time John Hancock came into direct contact with the British was when they seized one of his merchant ships, and claimed that he should have paid taxes for carrying taxed goods. “Hancock was a popular figure in Boston, and the seizure of his ship led to angry protests by local residents” (History.com JH). This made the British more angry than they already were. Most widely known is the short version, with only one or two verses. The “official” version is comprised of sixteen-odd verses, excluding the chorus, which is repeated before and after each verse. Most well know lyric from the song is “Yankee Doodle went to town/ A-riding on a pony/ Stuck a feather in his hat/ And called it macaroni”(ROCHES Lyrics). In the eighteenth century “yankey” is a term for a New Englander, and in old English dictionaries, “doodle” translates to a sorry, trifling fellow. As the British were calling these brave men, “poor New Englanders” it is easy to see why the Minutemen hated the name, and the song. But just as many slurs, such as “jew”, “queer” and “nigger”, have been
