John Oliver Lists the Things America Lost by Gaining Independence from Britain

Just in time for the Independence Day, Last Week Tonight put together a new web exclusive where John Oliver lists the many uniquely British things that the United States left behind when they gained independence in 1776 – things like accents, bowler hats, meat pies, and most importantly, British pessimism. “Americans are optimistic people who believe the sky is the limit, whereas in Britain, we are painfully aware of our limits,� Oliver says. “In fact, just look at the British sky itself. Even the sun is incapable of asserting itself there.�