Americans had to be different, somehow - it's a compulsion. Americans inherited it from the British through colonialism. Later, the British adopted the French

Americans had to be different, somehow - it's a compulsion. Americans inherited it from the British through colonialism. Later, the British adopted the French method, as through history they periodically go through periods of Francophilia. Look in a good British antiques store or archive and you will see letters penned by Queen Victoria using the "American" date method.