Today, America celebrates its independence. Our founding fathers drafted and adopted the Declaration of Independence, declaring America’s freedom from Great Britain and setting in motion universal human rights.
While the colonies may have established it, “America” was given a name long before. America is named after Amerigo Vespucci, the Italian explorer who set forth the then revolutionary concept that the lands that Christopher Columbus sailed to in 1492 were part of a separate continent. A map created in 1507 by Martin Waldseemüller was the first to depict this new continent with the name “America,” a Latinized version of “Amerigo.”
A crown jewel in the Library’s cartographic collections is the map, also known as “America’s Birth Certificate.” While the map has been much publicized since it was acquired in 2003, it’s worthy of exploration today of all days.
The map grew out of an ambitious project in St. Dié, France, in the early years of the 16th century, to update geographic knowledge flowing from the new discoveries of the late 15th and early 16th centuries. Waldseemüller’s large world map was the most exciting product of that research effort. He included on the map data gathered by Vespucci during his voyages of 1501-1502 to the New World. Waldseemüller named the new lands “America” on his 1507 map in the recognition of Vespucci’s understanding that a new continent had been uncovered following Columbus’ and subsequent voyages in the late 15th century. An edition of 1,000 copies of the large wood-cut print was reportedly printed and sold, but no other copy is known to have survived. It was the first map, printed or manuscript, to depict clearly a separate Western Hemisphere, with the Pacific as a separate ocean. The map reflected a huge leap forward in knowledge, recognizing the newly found American landmass and forever changing mankind’s understanding and perception of the world itself.
For more than 350 years the map was housed in a 16th-century castle in Wolfegg, in southern Germany. The introduction to Waldseemüller’s “Cosmographie” actually contains the first suggestion that the area of Columbus’ discovery be named “America” in honor of Vespucci, who recognized that a “New World,” the so-called fourth part of the world, had been reached through Columbus’ voyage. Before that time, there was no name that collectively identified the Western Hemisphere. The earlier Spanish explorers referred to the area as the Indies believing, as did Columbus, that it was a part of eastern Asia.
The Library has plenty of other resources on Waldseemüller and the map, including videos and a pretty cool story regarding the institution’s partnership with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in building a hermetically sealed case for the priceless map. You can also read about the project on the NIST site.
Comments (155)
I am so grateful for the LOC and all the folks who have contributed and work there, for their care and preservation for our US and World History.
Lynda
The name of our nation of course is “United States of America,” not “America,” the latter term applicable to the whole western hemisphere. From afar, the appropriation of “America” to mean “United States of America,” can seem at one extreme provincial, at the other extreme imperialistic. Spanish speakers have the concept of “hacerse la América,” meaning to get rich in the Western Hemisphere (ordinarily in a Spanish-speaking place) without necessarily living there permanently.
In 1984 William Safire, concerned about the accuracy or propriety of using “American” as the name of a denizen of the United States of America, sought alternatives, finding none, such as “Unisian,” “United Statesian,” “Usian,” or Frank Lloyd Wright’s “Usonian,” satisfactory. Spanish speakers however are comfortable with “estadounidense” (also with informal “yanki”). Fowler’s Dictionary of Modern English Usage (1965) observes that “the use of ‘America’ for the ‘United States’ and ‘American’ for ‘citizen of the U.S.’ … will continue to be protested against by purists and patriots and will doubtless survive the protests.” Evans’s Dictionary of Contemporary American Usage comments “If it’s any comfort to those who resent it, the usage is founded on a lazy disinclination to pronounce the longer name rather than arrogance.”
While crossing the Atlantic, Vespucci met the returning fleet of Cabral, then homeward bound from Brazil, and was advised of prevailing latitudes, trade winds and ocean currents. Cabral and his men were first to set foot in America, Africa and Asia—and thus the first to walk upon four continents.
America is a continent not a country. One continent, one name. America. Learn yankis.. Try to find a name for your ghetto country because united states doesn’t mean nothing. Mexico has states, Argentina has states, at least they were smart enough to find a name for their country.. Gringos burros!!
Of course “America” is the short for the United States of America because it is the only nation in the world that uses the name “America” in its name. Canada doesn’t Mexico doesn’t nor does any other country in the world but the United States of America so thus we can legally use that name as our own and the rest of the world does too when referring to the USA although when referring to the contestants there is “North America”, “South America” and “Central America” which is really North America but from Mexico down to SA is often called Central America.. None of them are referred to as just America. Only the United States of America has that honor and all know what we are talking about because that is part of our name only one in the world.
Amerigo Vespucci, though, never set foot on North America. He traveled through South America only.
Great information on the name. I have been looking into this because, I work for an organization that works internationally and recently we have been requested to change the name that we use to refer to the country, and someone that I know has a problem with us being called America. Thank you for the information.
Brazilians named their country Brazil. It is kind of like parents naming their child “Brazil”. Once a country gives itself a name this is what it is called just like the name of a person. And many countries have, over time, changed their names which is their right to do so.
Our founders created a new nation and called it, The United States of America. This is our name. No other country in the Western Hemisphere named their country with the name “America” as part of that country name. But even if they did this would not change our name for our country. Here let me spell it out for you…we started out as 13 colonies that decided to rebel against Great Britain. We then called the former colonies, states and these states united together to form the United States of America. Now there are 50 states that are united…the United States. But we are 50 united states of a country we call America.
There are two continents called North America and South America. There is also Central America and Latin America. These names all reference land masses of many countries and all are named different and unique names, only one of which has the name “America” as part of its name.
Here is Merriam Webster’s dictionary definition of the word “of”. It is definition 4a – used as a function word to indicate the whole that includes the part denoted by the preceding word – most of the army.
So the United States of America is analogous to the example given in the dictionary example. “of” in this case is a function word that indicates the whole (America) that includes the part denoted by the preceding word (United States).
If you, as a person, want to be called Bob everyone will call you Bob. If you want to be called America we will address you as America. We named ourselves America. This is what we want to be called.
You people can’t be serious?
Don’t you know by now that if you want any real history of The United States Co. Which The United States is a privately owned Corporation. That’s the correct title.
That’s why we have a president/CEO/overseer.
But you have to go out side of this country to get real information, and the rest of the world laughs at us.
Amurika is the ancient Berber word for Morocco.
Amerrk/Amurruk, it means “land in the west”
The land of milk and honey.
Variants- Amurika, Amerrica, Amurru, Amaru, Amerruka,
Amurruka, America.
The aboriginal peoples of the Americas are,
Americans, Amurricans, Amurrukans, Amurikans, Al Maurikas,
Al moro’cans, Mori’cans, Maurs, Mors, Moors, Murrs, Muurs.
It was NOT named after Amerigo Vespucci.
America is the land of the west,
Also North Africa
Turtle Island
Gadwona
Historical and geographically the original people of America are,
A’mur’kans/Maurs.
These names have been around for 1000s of years.
You can see perfectly clear were the name America evolved from.
To just totally forget about the history that was here for so long before Columbus and give Amerigo Vespucci the credit for the name is crazy. Your insulting your own intelligence.
It’s so confusing on purpose, but the purpose was to steal the birth rights.
Arabs will swear that the land is Morocco but is only governoed by The United States Co. It’s a weird claim but there is truth behind it. George Washington was the 9th president by the way.
It’s all on congressional documents.
All this here say there say boils down to making sure we call each other white or black people, which is also in congressional documents under the Christan color codes.
If you claim your status is a color you are nothing and will never have nothing.
The rest of the world understands this, and then they come here and get are birthrights by claiming there nationality and get money to start businesses and live the good life because people think Amerigo Vespucci is the correct name.
If you actually really research this you will not like what you find out about how are supposed fellow countrymen has been making fools of us.
I will never claim i am a citizen of the United States again.
I only say I am a private citizen.
And the courts which are also privately owned is the biggest tricky this country has tricked us to INVOLENTARY participation.
Don’t take my word for any of it, but don’t deny this information unless you research it first.
For all of you who still wonder why United States of America has the word “America” in it:
“America” has been used to name the entire “discovered” land of mass (this belongs to a different topic) for centuries way before United States included in its name. Just to give an idea: the new land was named America in 1507 and U.S.A was officially name as we know it to date in 1776 – that’s a 269 years difference!
So it’s pretty obvious that United States didn’t make up the word in question.
In 1776, United States became the first independent country in … America.
So you and everyone can call it United States of America after that, but you cannot call it simply “America” because it wouldn’t be correct and may cause the issues and confusion we have nowadays.
The map the Library of Congress bought clearly states above idea and still they say they are “America”.
North America was not named after…Amerigo Vespucci
Richard Amerike (or Ameryk) pronounced America (c.1445-1503) was a wealthy English merchant, royal customs officer and sheriff of Welsh descent. He was the principal owner of Master John Cabot’s ship, Matthew, during his voyage of exploration to North America in 1497.
Amerike is chiefly remembered because of old documents rediscovered in 1955, proving his ship’s discovery of Newfoundland and lands southward to Maryland in 1497.
It is from Ameryk that the name, North America, is derived owing to his sponsorship of the voyagesto Newfoundland, rather than from Amerigo Vespucci, the Italian mapmaker who discovered South America but (1) who never came near North America (2) and who had labeled South America
“an Un-named Country” when he discovered it.
Records show that, in 1481…”R. Amerike shipped a load of salt (for salting fish) to fishermen in Newfoundland. The Bristol sailors named the area after the Bristol merchant they worked for…Richard Amerike.” England had been fishing for Cod at least as early as 1475 or earlier off the Grand Banks of Nova Scotia and Maine. North America first appeared in English Cartographic Charts of the world in 1502. Continental cartographers had no access to English charts due to hostilities from undeclared wars.
The cartographer Martin Waldseemueller in 1507 made up the name ‘America’ by converting m mAmerigo’ [Vespucci’s first name] into Latin to honor his discovery of the SOUTH AMERICAN Continent. mbut withdrew it in his 1516 edition as Terra Incognita: also name of a Maya Indian people.So, the two American continents appear to have been coincidentally given the same names by German and English mapmakers…but named after TWO different individuals (an Italian and a Welshman ) with substantial confirmations for the sources of this historical fluke.
11. English cod fishermen had been making landfall and trading with Indians in New England for myears before Columbus made his “discovery” of The New World in 1492 as had Scandinavians m mbefore him. Columbus was not the first European in the New World but “his discovery” lead to the
recognition and subsequent development…read ‘theft“ of the American Continents and the Pacific Rim by Europeans. Not to be remiss we need to recall that Leifur Eiríksson made a landing on Vinland (Nova Scotia) c1000AD…but without having any permanent effect.
Claim is made that St. Brendan the Voyager of Ireland discovered North America in mid-sixthcentury? But nothing came of this.
Notice they never really tell us why the name of America was before Spain set foot here. So thanks for nothing!
Is it possible that the name America was derived from the Spanish “mar rico” meaning “rich sea” referring to the islands and coasts of the new world.
It was call AmEricka, and we had many kings, pyrimides, scientist, moors, yamassee, deleware, washitaha and that’s not even 100th if how long we “backs” have been infiltrated and stolen from,murdered, and had our credit deminish.
I have discoverted that the name “United States of America” was first used in 1774 in North Carolina, before the May 20th 1775 Mecklenburg Declaration. I have the text and references.
“America”, has never been, “United” as a country! Rather, it has always been united caucasians of America. It was never meant to be a country for people of color and is still that way, with the exception of slow demographic evolution. The name America given to a land inhabited by indigeonous peoples for thousands of year prior, is just an example of hundreds, where domination of one people by another, is the status quo for those who always sought to exclude the exitance of others for self greed. The naming and renaming of the land subsequent to the, “13 Colonies”, (which in itself was incorrect) should have been correctly named by and for its inhabitants. But, without regard for their right to exist and the exploitation subsequent exploitation of their land, that was never going to be permitted. So, there never was an America, or a United States of America and it should be renamed appropriately by and for the remaining people whose ancestors were unjustly and brutally slaughtered by those who should have never come here in the first place.
The correct name of this country is the United States of america. America is the whole continent. FromAlaska to Chile and Argentina. All of us in this new world are Americans.
Hey comment #4 Brian, do us all a favor in the USA, stay south of the border with your unintelligent remarks. This is the reason there’s 33,000 religions! Because all of you self declared scholars have ALL DIFFERENT answers but yet you all did research. How sad. I live in the greatest country in the world and WE THE PEOPLE CALL IT THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!!! THANK GOD!!! AMEN!!!
All you so called research scholars, worry about your own roots and trace them back to Noah’s Ark and see which pair you belonged too…
This is a blatant bofaced lie that Our “usa” gov has been pushing in the schools to indoctrinate us to believe what they say, but if you are to do your research you will find that Loooooooooooooong before Amerigo Vespucci seen ( not found or discovered ) this land it was here and it was called many things but specifically there was a Formidable town call Amaru named after its king Amaru Khan and that town/city was traversed by europeans to barter and trade and the variations of America went as follows; amaracapana amaraca amaru ameri amarca Amaruca etc. and finally Amaerica these among others but None came from or After Columbus Or Amerigo……… WE ARE THE ABORIGINALS OF AMERICA ✊
The correct name for the US is: United States of America.
This name came about because of its definition. A bunch of states united in the double continent of America. In contrast to anything in the old world.
America was the fad. Going to America in the English language meant going to what now is the US. Going to America in the Spanish language might have meant going to anywhere in Latin America. Going to America in the Portuguese language meant going to Brazil. Going to America in French language may have meant going to Louisiana or Quebec.
If you do your research there are only three languages(English, Japanese, Afrikaans). Out of all the languages in this planet where America might be confused with the US of A. In every other language in the world, over 100+, America is, as everyone knows, a double continent “discovered” 500 years ago, also called the new world.
Hence why English, Japanese and Afrikaans speakers may be the only ones confused about this topic and in shock to learn the truth.
America is NOT named after Amerigo Vespucci simply because countries were named after SURNAMES and not FIRST names.
If he had discovered the land, it would be known as Vespucciland.
The country was named after Richard Ameryk, a Bristol merchant who paid for the voyage of discovery, several years before Vespucci.
In addition, Christopher Columbus never set foot in North America. The closest he got was The Bahamas.
This post isn’t *how* the western hemisphere was named but rather the use of ‘America’ as a synonym for the USA.
It is possible – perhaps even probable – that the continents were referred to as ‘America’ early after their European discovery. But the evolution of the word to mean the region inhabited by the Colonists *before* the Declaration of Independence cannot be disputed and many (most?) Colonists continued to use the word even after the founding of the country.
To wit:
• Benjamin Franklin’s testimony before Parliament in 1766. About two dozen times Franklin and his questioners referred to the Colonies as ‘America’. (https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Franklin/01-13-02-0035)
• James Madison’s essay “A Memorial and Remonstrance Against Religious Assessments.” In paragraph 3 Madison refers to the Colonies as ‘America’. (https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Madison/01-08-02-0163)
• President John Adam’s first inaugural address. He refers to the US as ‘America’ four times.
There are other examples I’ve run across, such as King Louis XVI, French generals who fought in the Revolutionary War, and King George III, all referring to the US as ‘America’, but I can’t find links. My apologies.
Lastly, and to build on John Mode’s post (#8), the country is NOT named the United States of NORTH America nor it is named the United States of THE AMERICAS and I think that’s significant; i.e. the country could have been simply called America but the inclusion of ‘the united states’ was to show solidarity of the colonies to the British Crown.
Most of the world thinks of the country as the UNITED STATES of America. But to think of it another way, which most Americans have and still do: the united states of AMERICA.
I appreciate Barry’s comments – but is he assuming that the name ‘America’ was just plucked out of nowhere?
The name came from Richard Ameryk, the Bristol merchant who employed Italian John Cabot (his English name), and, as was custom at the time, the newly discovered land was called after the surname of the financier of the project.
Whether it’s called ‘The United State of’ is neither here nor there. It is called ‘America’.
Just to ‘assume’ it was called ‘America’ for no reason doesn’t make any sense.
Especially when you consider that it was originally thought to be the East Indies (or India) by Columbus and other explorers.
Columbus would not accept it wasn’t India until the day he died.
Amerigo Vespucci was in Brasil when he wrote about the new world. Describing the trees, fruits, animals and the people of the brazilian coast.
Maria is probably aware that Vespucci ‘discovered’ South America in 1501-2.
Explorer John Cabot (English name) ‘discovered’ NORTH America in 1497 – four years before Vespucci.
The connection of Vespucci with the ‘discovery’ of ‘America’ appears to be connected with his first name of Amerigo (which just happens to sound a bit like America).
The FACT that he came FOUR YEARS after Cabot appears to matter less than his first name.
The fact that Cabot was under the ‘protection’ of the King of England – but was financed by Welsh businessman Richard Ameryk – whose last name (which was common practice to use when naming new lands at the time) is also similar to ‘America’ appears to fall on blind eyes and deaf ears.
Not so United though these days are they. I really struggle understanding the logic of American politics or North Americans, especially when they vote a Psychopath to be president. Why do white Americans feel the country is their’s? And think they have the right to kick non white American people out. The British, Dutch, German, Irish and many other countries settled there and created “The USA” and “Americans”. Why aren’t the Indigenous People shouting “send them back” oh thats right they were massacred. How bless America
Im wondering why there is no feedback or dispute to the people that spoke to the more remote time of this “America” being connected to A-Mooru-khan or Amaur-Khan etc from comment # 9 & # 19….. Im sensing that to be the more reasonable argument. However, there has been no refute or comment about that!
I think the origin of name America come from Amerigo Vespucci. Is a logical consequence of his discovered.
The name apper too latin to suppose the origin come from Ameryk. It’s improbably to lose y and k and replaced with i and c from a cartographic who lived in Alsace
We were first America, not until we established states did we become United.
Wow who would have know! I think I will just think of myself as American thank you.
I have learned so much, thank you for informing me on something so astonishing. i will go teach my class this now!!
What got its name from Amerigo Vespucci is the continent. America is a continent, not a country. The first time the name “America” appeared on a map, it was written over the current territory of Brazil. Furthermore, Amerigo Vespucci (“Américo” in Spanish) never set foot on the United States. He only navigated the South Atlantic coasts of Brazil and Argentina.
AMERICA IS NOT A COUNTRY AMERICA ITS A CONTINENT. THE ONES FROM FRANCE ARE FRENCH,GERMANY ARE GERMANS,POLAND ARE POLISHED AND GREECE ARE GREEKS BUT THEY’RE ALL EUROPEANS BECAUSE THEY’RE FROM THE CONTINENT OF EUROPE. CHINA ARE CHINESE, VIETNAM ARE VIETNAMESE, AND KOREA ARE KOREANS BUT THEY’RE ALL ASIANS BECAUSE THEY’RE FROM THE CONTINENT OF ASIA. MEXICO ARE MEXICANS, CANADA ARE CANADIANS AND BRAZIL ARE BRAZILIANS. WHY THE UNITED STATES ARE AMERICANS. OR BORN IN AMERICA. WHEN THESE COUNTRIES LIKE MEXICO, CANADA AND BRAZIL WITH SO MANY OTHER COUNTRIES. THESE COUNTRIES DON’T BELONG NOR FOUND ON THE CONTINENTS OF ANTARCTICA, ERUOPE, ASIA, OCEANIA NOR AFRICA. THESE COUNTRIES ARE FOUND AND BELONG ON THE CONTINENTS OF NORTH AMERICA AND SOUTH AMERICA PLUS CENTRAL AMERICA. I HAVE A QUESTION? THE UNITED STATES IS THE ONLY COUNTRY THAT BELONGS ON THE AMERICAN CONTINENT? OF COURSE NOT BECAUSE THERE’S OTHER COUNTRIES AS WELL. IF UNITED STATES TAKES OVER CANADA NOW CANADA BELONGS IN AMERICA WHEN ITS ALREADY FOUND ON AMERICAN CONTINENT. NORTH AMERICA SOUTH AMERICA PLUS CENTRAL AMERICA.TAKE OUT THE NORTH, THE SOUTH AND THE CENTRAL WHAT IS LEFT AMERICA. SO THE UNITED STATES IS THE ORIGINAL AMERICAN AND BORN IN THE UNITED STATES SOIL YOUR BORN IN AMERICA. BUT NO ONE ELSE OUT OF THE UNITED STATES. AMERICA IS NOT A COUNTRY AMERICA ITS A CONTINENT.
I’m a few years late to comment, but this brief article is so confusing.
You should clarify that America is the name of the whole continent, named after Amerigo Vespucci. And that, your founding fathers, after the country got its Independence many years later after the continent was named, decided to call it United States of America.
i do not understand a single thing at all
I think America is also named for Mercia, a region in Anglo-Saxon England from 518? until ca 918 AD. Later there were more English settlers than Spanish; it’s my impression that they renamed much of America after England (Virginia, New England, etc).
Really senseless argument. It would appear that another name should apply.
If America is not the proper name, then arguments tied to that name are meaningless.
Certainly, there were people here before Europeans. It is insulting to assume that the inhabitants had no name for the land.
It’s hard to believe that so many people (mostly South Americans) don’t realize that the entire world does not agree with their contention that”America” is one continent. The seven continent model, with the two separate continents of North America & South America, is much more widely taught/followed around the world than the five continent model, with one single continent called “America,” is. The Spanish Latino, Hispanic etc. South Americans are free to call themselves whatever they like – Americans in the US honestly don’t care – but simply insisting that “America is a continent and not a country” doesn’t make it true.
“So you and everyone can call it United States of America after that, but you cannot call it simply “America” because it wouldn’t be correct and may cause the issues and confusion we have nowadays”
Nonsense! Just as South Americans are free to call themselves “Americans,” people in the US are free to do the same. And it IS correct to do so because the demonym “American” is now synonomous with “US citizen” for most of the world. You may not like it, but this is a simple fact. We were called Americans before the US existed, we are now called Americans, and we always will be called Americans. Repeating “America is a continent and not a country” is a silly waste of breath. Like most of the world, we do not agree that America is one giant continent but rather view it as two continents. Call yourselves whatever you like, but you will never affect our status as Americans, so quit trying.
Most continent names start with an “A” and end with an “A”, with the middle part being descriptive, and the ending usually includes “ia” or “ica” meaning “place of”, like Asia means “place of China”.
“Mer” is Latin for “sea” or “ocean”, as seen on most old maps.
So, a land across the “mer” (ocean)is logically called A-MER-ica (land cross the ocean) on old maps and by old-time sailors from England, Ireland, etc., who occasionally confirmed its existence in person. It was seen as likely that there had to be land across any Ocean, including the Atlantic. Every “mer” must be contained by “terr” (land), so the “common” folk, including sailors, of course had a standard name for any such land across the “mer” and of course that name was A-“mer”-ica, falling neatly within common naming practice of the time. Vespucci and others were named after “America”, not vice-versa. Amerigo was an assumed nickname.
Similarly, “Atlan” or “Aztlan” is still the name used to this day by many native Americans, for this “new” continent, with this name being found within names for their tribes (AZTec) and their places (MazATLAN, and their language (NuhuATL) and is why the name ATLANtic was applied to the ocean one would sail to get to ATLAN: Think about it, the name “Atlantic” literally means “relating to Atlan. (Seas are often named for whatever is on the other side.) The native Indians proximate Mexico say they came from the Caribbeaan near Cuba after severe flooding, which could have been due to the glacial melting thousands of years ago. The legendary God QuetzlcoATL, a mythical culture hero from whom almost all mesoamerican peoples claim descent, taught them farming, etc. and meets the description of Viking and other ancient ships featuring a snake’s head mounted on the bow of a long boat powered by “feathers” (simultaneous oars rowing, sails). If we tried to translate Que t z al co ATL, in Latin, it might come close to “That which goes to ATL”.
How can you people state that America was given to the land mass when it was discovered??? When people were living there already ??? All of this doesn’t make any sense
A map created in 1507 has the name America on it and is over Brazil. Given that the US was formally constituted in 1776 you can conclude as to what really America is. NO BRAINER.
269 years are more than enough. You can take it whichever way you want….
All of this is untrue. America got its name from the merger of Northwest Amexum and Northwest Africa. Morocco actually controlled the seas and America and allowed the expelled Brits to settle in what is now North America.
“America” is the name of the WHOLE Continent, from pole to pole (including Greenland), that’s why we have South, Central and North America. We may call “america” to the United States of America for short, as a nickname, but that doesn’t make it the actual NAME. We have eastern and western Europe but we don’t call it “The Europes”, same with Asia, Africa and Oceania. “America” is a continent and not a country.
I have been looking for information on how was it that the United States chose the name “America” and where did it get it from? Or better yet, how did the U.S.A. get the name America? But the only info that comes out is this one, that it is the new world’s name, the continent that Columbus discovered. So, that means that the U.S.A. is using the name given to the continent? Or it could also mean that the United States sought to use the name of the continent, America, to denote that the country or the United States were of the continent of America?
America was named after the explorer that categorized after Columbus. Amerigo latinized version is AMERICA. deal with it.
Dear Sirs,
America got it’s name from the Amaru Khans, they where the original people! That was here in American before the White Europeans came and invaded the America’s and it’s (original people). Please tell the real truth. The Indigenous people where here! and it was there land. Do you think we can go to England and take over the land? No!
There were no other countries on the American continents in the year 1776 when the U.S.A was named, only European colonies. Add the name “America” to your country if you wish but even the “Estados Unidos Mexicanos” prefer to be called “Mexico” and the people “Mexicanos”. The United State of America is part of the history of the new world and whether you like it or not, it should not be changed. Actually all countries on the continents should be proud that the first independent country in the Americas was called America.
America don’t celebrate its independence on 4th July, The US does.
I LOVE AMERICA AND AMERICANS! IF YOU LIVE IN AMERICA AND CALL YOURSELF AN AMERICAN, THEREFORE, YOU ARE AN AMERICAN LIVING IN AMERICA. THE REST OF YOU ARE NOT IF YOU CALLED YOURSELF OTHER THAN AN AMERICAN.
HOW OFTEN YOU REFERENCE YOURSELF AS AN AMERICAN? IF SOMEONE ASKED YOU…YOU COSTA RICAN, BRAZILIAN, MEXICAN, COLOMBIAN, OR AMRICAN?
IM ALWAYS BEEN AN AMERICAN FROM AMERICA…NOT AMERIPO BRAZIL. DO YOU KNOW WHAT I AM SAYING…?
Wikipedia
Naming of Americas
In case anyone is interested, these are a few names BEFORE AMERICA
“Abya Yala”
“Ixachilan”
“Runa Pacha”
In 1977, the World Council of Indigenous Peoples (Consejo Mundial de Pueblos Indígenas) proposed using the term Abya Yala instead of “America” when referring to the continent. There are also names in other indigenous languages such as Ixachilan and Runa Pacha. Some scholars have picked up the term with a reference to the illegitimacy of colonialism.
Also… those of you that think we are special, and we can call ourselves “American” with no regard to it’s original people in Central America… I would ask that you find 1 legal document that reads simply “America” on it.
You aren’t “America”!
You have no legal documents to support that claim, because you ARE U.S. CITIZENS!
NOT AMERICANS!
Christopher Columbus and the Spanish Armada claimed to have discovered America or the so called “New World”. So you have to understand that most likely they would name this “New World” something in their own native language, that which being Spanish. And this would be traditional, proper Spanish that is directly rooted from Latin. As opposed to the slang, broken Spanish commonly heard in the United States today from citizens based out of Middle and South America. In using that logic, most likely the word “America”, just as another newly discovered land from that period, “Costa Rica” (translating in English to – “rich-coastal land”, is a combination of 2 words derived from Spanish.
Those 2 words being “Ame” and “Rica”
“Ame” – meaning “love” or “the love of something”
and;
“Rica(feminine for Rico) – meaning “rich or wealth” or “of the riches”.
(Feminine context was used hence Explorers during this period allegedly known for using metaphorical gender pronouns to describe or refer to continents as females or having possessed feminine qualities, E.G. “Lady Liberty” or of that on a larger scale, “Mother Earth”)
Ame-rica – love of the land of riches and wealth. The land of freedom and opportunity. This describes even the current idea and image of what America is and how it is portrayed to the rest of the world. Although, apparent to most people now, America and the “American dream” was built and is still being built based on Capitalism and Capitalists ideas. The taking of things from a person or persons and claiming them as your own. Or using others to get or accomplish what you want or desire, regardless of who or what you have to step on or eliminate to reach that of what you seek to possess. In other words, stealing.
People were going to the Americas…plain and simple.between 1507 and 1776 there is a gap of 269 years .from the wedsmuller map and the foundation of the U.S.of!!!. From Patagonia to The Northwest Territories..we are all Americans.like it or not.
Likewise, in English American is unambiguous and refers to the people with US citizenship. For the continents, the people are referred to as North Americans and South Americans, but there’s no such thing as a single American continent and therefore American can’t refer to the people of a continent.
Your description of America being a latinized version of Amerigo is ambiguous and nonsensical. Both Amerigo (Italian) and America (Spanish) are predominately Latin based languages. America is a de facto Spanish word. Why not say that!
Why do we always have to hear part of the story. The European portion. No one discovered America. You can not name an area or land, that was named by the original owners. Humans beings lived on the land we call America. They are the indigenous people, the original people of the land. Of the continent. North and South. The homeland, the origin of humans ( what you call Africa )Traveled to the continent ( America) long before Europeans. Asias did too. Don’t forget, who is writing these books? History is wrong. Traitors fled their land( English ). Traitor annihilated a group of people ( indigenous people ) to start a new life. They called it the new land. After killing the indigenous people, raping and stripping them of their original existence. They started to colonize the land. While doing that, they brought another set of people with them ( slaves ). You can make a lot of money, with slave labor. Then they wanted independence from the people they were running from( England). July 4th. Freedom for the Europe. Not for the slaves and indigenous people. Tell the truth please. Our founding father had slaves. You can write a book about the torture. We have. Read the real history. Not, his story. Truth out!!
I have met many Canadians who get upset if you say you are from America. Why? Because they consider themselves to also be Americans. America is a continent not a country. They will TELL you are from the United States.
There are millions of people throughout history claiming that the USA is in fact America de country… People quo get their knowledge from films and newspapers may agree with that statement. Those that bother to look up a map can clearly deduced that America is in fact a continent comprising 3 Americas… North, central and South. The USA is in fact one of two countries in North America. Most Central American countries have Spanish as their first Language and with the exception of Brazil and three Guyanas (French, Dutch & English) all South American countries speak Spanish and are NOT part of the USA. They could not be more different than the USA citizens
So Im concerned with the fact that its human nature to name things by the surname…shouldn’t it be called Vespucci! Example Africa was renamed after Scipio Aficanus!
The name come form the Moors cause they lived there 500 years before Columbus or Vespucci it’s a blood line not religion where everyone can come to give glories to the government
Reading all these comments, I am disappointed that no-one has picked up on the theory that the name “America” is derived from the discovery of North America by Leif Erikson in about 1000 AD. He named the three lands he discovered Helluland, Markland and Vinland, Markland being thought to be on the coast of Labrador. The theory was set out in a letter to the British newspaper, The Guardian, on 13 October 2019:
“I fear Thomas Eaton (Weekend Quiz, 12 October) is giving further credence to “fake news” from 1507, when a German cartographer was seeking the derivation of “America” and hit upon the name of Amerigo Vespucci, an obscure Florentine navigator. Derived from this single source, this made-up derivation has been copied ever after.
The fact is that Christopher Columbus visited Iceland in 1477-78, and learned of a western landmass named “Markland”. Seeking funds from King Ferdinand of Spain, he told the king that the western continent really did exist, it even had a name – and Columbus adapted “Markland” into the Spanish way of speaking, which requires an initial vowel “A-”, and dropped “-land” substituting “-ia”.
Thus “A-mark-ia”, ie “America”. In Icelandic, “Markland” may be translated as “the Outback” – perhaps a fair description.
See Graeme Davis, Vikings in America (Birlinn, 2009).
Colin Moffat
Kingston upon Thames, London”
I don’t know if there is any evidence to support this theory, but it must at least be worthy of consideration, alongside the others.
Keep America red white an blue USA
I think Canada should call itself The United Provinces of America, or the UPA. What do you think?
Someone said the United States is the best country in the world. Seriously? How can you be the best when you are the most racist country in the world, a country where people love guns and killing each other, especially killing people of color; a country where all the bad things of the world dwell and thrive like in a fertile land; for instance, drugs, murder, racism and everything bad ever existed. How can you be so great when you are the bully of the world, defending all the bad causes of the world and seeking only power and money with a total disregard for humans, even those living in your own land. A country creating and waging wars all over the world just to expand their imperial hegemony and steal other countries resources at the expenses of the life of millions already. A country that massacred millions in Vietnam and lunched two atomic bombs in japan even though the war was practically won already. But I bet my bottom dollar that deep inside you love that about your country, that it is the bully of the world, that it is powerful and rich, cause that’s all you yanquis care about; money and power. Just one last though: If the United States (not America) is the best country in the world, how come it’s always far from ranking first in the Human Development Index?
The name America is a combination of a Dutch word and a German word. The Dutch prefix AM means brave, As in Amsterdam which means the brave people who live in a city of dams.Erigo is the Portugese way of saying the German name Heinrich which is Henry in English. Heinrich means Home Ruler. Therefore the name America means the Brave Home Ruler. My name means The Noble Home Ruler of Different Hearts and more men with my name died fighting for this country than any other name. 26 men with my name died fighting in WW2 alone. You do not want to admit that America is a Dutch/German word LOL LOL LOL
Italian here.
America is a continent (divided in North and South America, just like you have North and South Europe), that’s what I’ve been taught in school and, by my own research, that was the correct teaching.
Americans are the people from all the countries inside the continent (from Canada to Argentina). In italian USA citizens are called “statunitensi”. The term “America” was being used some 200+ years before the founding of the USA, and the first ever map drawn of the American continent had the term “America” slapped on Brazil. Brazil is the original and true “America”, if one want’s to be tight, but it was just the name used for the entire “New World”.
I think (the top) people in the “United States of (the continent) America” started to increasingly refer to their country just as “America”, thus appropriating the name of the continent, because the name is “warmer” and more “evocative” than just “United States of America”.
Being the name “America” more suggestive and evocative (it’s a female name, unlike “USA” which just sounds colder) it’s also an easier name on which to build a foundation for a godless, nationalistic religion, with the flag as its religious symbol (similar to the cross in Christianity), the anthem as a religious hymn (people get mad when you kneel during that…), the military as their priests (I even heard a UFC fighter, unironically nicknamed “Captain America”, years ago say after a fight that USA soldiers are the second coming of Christ on earth and that they are “dying for our sins”…), and the various presidents as the delegates of some kind of “God” on earth which “bless America” (and look down on the rest of the world, obviously, as the “America/God” religion is seen by its followers as a religious “truth”, just like the “american exceptionalism” dogma loved by both Democrats and Republicans, even though pretty much every country in the world is “exceptional” in its own way).
Anyway, when the sun will stop burning (if a big asteroid dont hit the earth first and have the entire human race wiped off like the dinosaurs), the piece of land which some Unitedstaters have elevated to a God/religion, will disappear into dust, along with the rest of the world, for the rest of eternity in this infinite and dark universe.
My thing is doesn’t really matter who or what the US was named after it’s the fact that mostly likely The United States of “America” was named after a white/hispanic racist male. That just like how the country celebrates the 4th of July but why don’t we celebrate the day Enslaved African Americans were “set free”. Its not celebrated because slavery is something that is “not to be mentioned” or “its to uncomfortable” to be a topic.
El nombre AMERICA fue dado al CONTINENTE descubierto por los españoles en honor al navegante explorador italiano nacionalizado español AMERICO VESPUCIO porque fue uno de los primeros en darse cuenta que este era un nuevo CONTINENTE y no la India como creyó erróneamente Cristóbal Colón por eso se llamó a nuestro CONTINENTE AMERICA en su honor porque nuestro CONTINENTE se llama AMERICA y no por ejemplo Americo ya que nombre fue dado en honor a AMERICO VESPUCIO porque los otros CONTINENTES tenían nombres en FEMENINO EUROPA ASÍA ÁFRICA por eso también se decidió llamar a nuestro CONTINENTE AMERICA en FEMENINO y no por ejemplo Americo el nombre AMERICA fue dado al CONTINENTE descubierto por los españoles en honor al navegante explorador italiano nacionalizado español AMERICO VESPUCIO en el AÑO 1507 en esa época solo habían en el CONTINENTE colonias españolas y portuguesas los británicos llegaron al CONTINENTE recién en el AÑO 1607 100 AÑOS después de dado el nombre al CONTINENTE
EEUU es un país que literal mente no tiene nombre por lo tanto eso tampoco les permite tener un gentilicio propio único que los identifique su “nombre” solo indica su posición geográfica donde se encuentran situados en un CONTINENTE llamado AMERICA “estados unidos DE america” que serían los estados unidos de las colonias británicas en AMERICA las 13 colonias británicas en AMERICA haciendo referencia al CONTINENTE donde se encuentran situados llamado AMERICA caso parecido el nombre del país SUDÁFRICA que su nombre sólo indica su posición geográfica donde se encuentran situados al SUR de un CONTINENTE llamado ÁFRICA pero como las ratas de EEUU están acostumbrados a querer apropiarse de lo que no les pertenece y como su país literalmente NO TIENE NOMBRE los muy ignorantes idiotas sin vergüenzas ladrones estafadores se empezaron a creer los únicos “american” del mundo y lo más estúpido y ridículo del caso empezaron a considerar sólo “america” a su país y así viven en su mundito irreal falsificado y de fantasía pobre gente estúpida ignorante dan lástima
“…America celebrates its independence. Our founding fathers drafted and adopted the Declaration of Independence, declaring America’s freedom from Great Britain and setting in motion universal human rights. …” or setting in motion an era of cruel genocide of its native people and cruel kidnapping and enslavement of a human race. Human rights, slavery; human rights, genocide; potatoes potatoes; I guess it all depends on who’s speaking.
It is wrong for USA to call itself just ‘America’ and ‘Americans’.
In Real English…
– North America means ‘the north(ern) part of America’ or ‘in the north of America’ while South America means ‘the south(ern) part of America’ or ‘in the south of America’!
– North Americans are ‘Americans living in the North(ern) part of its real name America’ or ‘Americans of the North’!
– South Americans are ‘Americans living in the South(ern) part of its real name America’ or ‘Americans of the South’!
Directional words including ‘central’ are …
– just ‘parts’ of … the word/name next to them.
– really different types of … the word’s/name’s demonym.
The USA tries to get their way just to steal the continents’ name America. No matter how many Americas there are, they are all America (whether English Speakers and USA agrees or disagrees).
The proper demonym for the USA is ‘U.S. Americans’ when referring to their country. So stop trying to make up excuses for America (by itself) – USA people. No matter what you say, nothing is going to change the Real Definition of America. Thus, you are NOT the only ‘true’ Americans on this planet.
The people who say Canada and Latin America are Anti-Americans – will be called Anti-English Americans by me! (They don’t know real English even though they speak English)!
Can’t you people find something more useful to do?
My top 2 Favorite comments of this blog or article is #57 sent by Michael J Petersmarck and #63 sent by Doug!!! Way to go them!
I truly love my fellow Canadians who get upset in front of the USA if they use the words ‘America’ and ‘American’ as their nationality. I’m glad that they realize – they too really are Americans after all. I wish to see the percent of Canadians who see America as a continent versus a country. I’m even glad, they will TELL ‘USA people’ are from the United States (Not from America). I agree with them and will be forever on their side!
I especially agree with Doug – I do think Canada should call itself United Provinces of America and UPA for the short version (which can be considered Optional as a Nickname for Canada)!!!
US citizens should be called USers… fitting and acurate.
It is certainly correct in English to call the citizens of the United States of America “American”, but it is also correct to call any inhabitant of the American continent that way, it could be said that they are homonymous words.
“America”
The Kingdom of God on earth
Christopher Columbus never reached what we call the united state and this LIE should be removed from the history books once and for all , this whole lie was based on a poem .
America Keen fought for Freedom and James Velma Keen became Guardian to Her orphaned Children 1876 US President granted Land to Him in Sumter County Florida. Right where the Villages are.!. Imagine the Oversight of such a Powerful Governance.
Abby Yala land in its maturity
One theory not cherrised by the citizens of the United States of America is the ridge called Amerrisque situated in today’s Nicaragua.
Mayans would travel from the Atlantic Ocean to the lake Cocibolca now called Lake of Nicaragua in coanoes in order to get to the gold extracted from the region called Chontales, where still today gold is being extracted.
All I care about is that my mother used to always say that we are “all American mutts” in our family, because we have so many nationalities in us, which I’m proud of. I like being an all American mutt. It’s good enough for me, no matter what history books say.
salt lol
Wow this Anglicized version being taught in the American Colonial school system is unbelievable. Yet believable as it was not written by the many native tribes that were already here including the Tawny dark people Mr Columbus wrote about in his journey. Yet we are treated as nothing in our own land and you are nothing but squatters. So glad most indigenous people of all skin tones know as we teach our children the truth. Our Ancestors not from Africa told us and made notes. Just sad when others have to create a false reality!
I heard a lot of the comments here, from the historians to abusers. What I haven’t heard is the real reason for argument? Is the argument about United States calling themselves America or the citizens of the USA being the only ones considered American? I thought the argument was the latter, but have not really read anyone actually refuting that point.
Is it ok that citizens of the USA consider themselves the only Americans or not? Go…..
All countries in the world, with a few exemptions, use a common denomination title before their proper name, from where their national identification is taken. When the initial colonies decided to write the Constitution for the “United States”, in 1789, they needed a proper name for the country and decided on “America”. One of the reasons was that Europeans already call them Americans. There were not other free nation in the continent of America; and, when they came to exist, the chose their own proper names. On the other side, it was the fact that in 1507 Martin issue 1000 copies of a map showing the name of “America” (Spanish for Amerigo) that created the customary name for the continent, which then got the acceptance of countries after countries in the world. Going back to America, the only nationals Americans are people born in the territory of the fifty states of this union. There are no people in the world (Except “Dominicans” from D.R.) that identify themselves after the common denomination of their country; they use the proper names from which are derived their national identities. “Americans” are “national Americans”, not “Unitedstatens”; “Venezuelans” are “national Venezuelans”, not “Bolivarianos”; “Mexicans” are “national Mexicans”, not “Estadounidenses”… Continentally, a common denomination for all, a regional identity, is “American”, that anyone born in this continent could claim.
What is the complex or discrimination? Yes, not getting a hold on the truth, ignorance or just poor education.
I’m replying to Truthfinder on comment #83 …
The Real Reason for argument is … BOTH for United States people calling (1)their country just America and (2)themselves just American(s)! Even so, this same argument applies to all English speakers from other countries who refer to … USA and its residents only … whenever they say America and American(s)!
Is it ok for citizens of the USA to consider their own country and themselves as the only America country and American people in the New World or not? Go…..
The answer is ‘No, it’s NOT okay’.
Is it okay for English speakers across the world to consider USA as the only America country and USA residents as the only Americans in the New World or not? Go…..
The answer is ‘No, it’s NOT okay’.
America is not named after Vespucci. America is derived from the word Al Morocco which is another form of the word Morocco which means the Extreme West. This is proven as fact because still today America is literally called the western world because of it. If your not a copper skinned person found here by the early European settlers your not American.
Lol, I am not agreeing with Comment #86.
I don’t and never will believe America is derived from Al Morocco. If the word was derived from Al Morocco, it would become in reality … the demonym Al Moroccan!
I will believe that Morocco means Extreme West and it’s great that I’m learning America is called the Western World. As I think about it, the Western World is … Western Hemisphere + New World!!
Even so, whether you are a copper skinned person found here or not by the early European settlers … You ARE American as long as you are a resident of any country or territory that is apart of the 2 American Continents … North America and South America!!!
I can’t belive I read all these comments. America is both and all these things. No need to be so exclusive and rigid claiming it can only be one way, give me a break. You can be American continentally, and you can be an American nationally. That’s just dumb to argue about that. And yes first it was for the land mass which became these continents and later on used by a country in one of those continents, and so what? That’s fine. It’s all in the name, United States OF America. The OF is important. America is the continents and the USA was the first independent country of the continents and it can use the name America as part of its name too. You can refer to both citizens of the USA as American and you can also refer to any people of the two continents as American if and as you wish. It’s all about the context of what you are saying and many ways can be right and none are necessarily wrong. But as to where the actual word derived from, I don’t know, but many of these ideas talked about sound very interesting. If there are that many ways it could have gotten the name then it seems destined for it to be so. It’s just cool to see a map that old that has the name America on it.
Thieves
Should be name the Continente Hispánico, Not America, but you’ll know the psicopaths who live up north and their intentions. Piracy name it America, and is not Christopher Columbus es Cristobal Colon he was no English pirate.
LOL Georgy! America cannot be both the name of 1 country and 2 continents. That is wrong. It can only be the name for the 1 or 2 continent(s) that contain the word America in their names.
Like you said “It’s all in the name, United States OF America. The OF is important. America is the 2 continents and the USA was the 1st independent country of both continents”.
It can have America as part of its name but U.S. people cannot use just America and American for their own country’s nationality.
On a website (of which I may not be allowed to send the link of it on this site because it may be viewed as spam), someone named Robert has explained exactly why the key word “OF” is important! They said, “The point is the name of the country is “The United States OF American” … not “The United American States” or any other equivalent … in English along with its “grandfather” languages such as Latin, etc context is everything being that the linguistics of the languages themselves are very contextual … and the Context of saying “The United States OF America” clearly states in the context of the U.S. belonging to America. It is a part of America though it is NOT America itself.”!
Even so …. “United States OF America” clearly is in other words:
1) ………”United Countries OF the New World”!
2)…………………”1 Nation OF 2 Continents”!
3)………….”Country Name OF Double-Continent Name”!
4)…………..”United States OF North America” (USNA)! (*)
5)…………..”United States OF The Americas”!
6)”Nationality/Union Name OF its Geographical Location Name! (**)
(*)This is a Fact: USA’s long form name was originally named “United States of North America” way back in 1776 by its own government! Even so, USA still remains as USNA today being as it is located in North America anyway!
(**)On another website, someone named Mike Smith has commented on what United States of America really is! He said, “”United States” is the name of the Country’s Union itself and “OF America” is a post-positional adjective alluding to its geographical location”!
Overall, a country’s nationality cannot be the same name and demonym that belongs to 1 or 2 continents (that being a Single or Double Continent Identity). In other words, a country CANNOT just steal and claim the Identity – of a single or double continent – all to itself alone and start using it to become their own nationality in the world.
So what, or who, is exactly a “Native American.”
“Setting in motion human rights.” What a piece of garbage. You massacred the natives, then stole half the territory from Mexico, then stole the latest colonies from Spain for yourselves, conquered Hawaii, bombed Japan and Germany civilians, tried to colonize Vietnam, created the political mess in Latin America, set up military bases around the world, created the mess in the arab countries, tortured civilians, etc.
America was probably called after Richard Amerike Sherriff of Bristol England. He funded the 1497 voyage of Cabot.
Vespucci was widely known to be a liar and a cheat. He upstaged Columbus and got his name adopted as the discoverer of the new world on the 1507 map.
There is doubt that Vespucci actually made all the voyages he claimed.
What many people are not aware of was that Vespucci was actively involved in the African slave trade. He also brought back native people from South America and sold them as slaves.
Would Americans prefer the nation to be called after a Welsh businessman or a slave trader?
Vespucci was a liar cheat and con man. Many historians believe some of his voyages were imaginary. He attempted to get his name pushed forward to upstage Columbus.
He was a slave trader and deluded himself that he had discovered America.
It is much more likely that America got it’s name from Richard Amerike Sherriff of Bristol England who financed Cabot’s voyage of 1497.
America means the Land, the continent ect, hence why the word “of” is present in the name United States of America, otherwise they would simply have called it America…Technically each state is its own country. they have there own constitution, their own government, their own judicial system. where the U.S constitution is the supreme authority , and overrides everything else. We are the United States, located in America, on the land of America. Oregonian, Texan, ect I am a U.S citizen from Oregon, on the west coast of north America.
United States was a great idea back when this land was invaded and stolen from the native Americans.but the way that minorities have been mistreated, these states are not United. That’s a Joke.
Genocide by the Europeans! So sad that we argue about the name a place is called by- rather than discussing the brutality and evil genocide committed against natives of the land? why it is so casually discussed as – “yeah it happened but nothing can be done” ? An absolute disgrace that it is the invasion and genocide of men women and children. You hide true history and deny that it was genocide. Worse than the Nazi’s You should be ashamed!
America is the name of the country and North America is the name of the continent. Brazilian and Argentine leftists people with complex of inferiority decided to change the name of the USA to estadunidense or they started calling Americans North Americans claiming they are Americans too (because they live in South America). However, Dilma the ex president along with all those useless politicians from Argentina and some leftist followers should understand that America is in the name of the country, just like Brazil is Republica federativa do Brasil. China also has a bigger name and Mexico. But jealous people bought this stupid idea and keep repeating this over and over. It’s not gonna work!!! Americans will always be Americans! They are also North Americans just like the Canadians and Mexicans since the 3 countries form the continent North America.
Hey jealous people! Get over it!
The territory laying South of the 49th parallel to the border of Mexico has always been named “Yankland” by people who do not live there.
That is probably the kindest name that the territory can be given although its history of warmongering, genocide, gangsterism, lawlessness, and braggadocio have led to many less generous appellations for the evil empire.
Its name is definitely not that of the continent of which it constitutes less than one third.
The real meaning of the United States of America means that the United States of the continent of America meaning that the United States belong,found and located on the American Continent not that the United States is AMERICA because the whole entire continent was name AMERICA 269 years way before the United States of America became a nation or even existed.
The country was named United States “of America” knowing FULL WELL that the continent was called AMERICA, see, at that time there was no other country in the whole continent, everything else were Spanish, Portuguese, French and Dutch COLONIES. That’s the reason we have SOUTH, CENTRAL and NORTH AMERICA.
America might be a NICKNAME, but it’s NOT THE NAME OF THE COUNTRY.
Geography they r connected. Is it continous land??? Yes. What divides it?? It is not tectonic plates, that is OCEANAGROPHY, Two different studies of branches, Nor the story of the Panama Canal that divides the land, which is nonses. Central America is a mountainous region and is not easy to get from the Pacific ocean to the Atlantic Ocean , (the oceans are of different sea levels) , and viceversa so tanks that fill with water are fill-up to get ships up and down in the form steps. SO NOTHING DIVIDES IT. As the explores and geographers moved inland towards NORTH, they realized what Columbus had discovered was ONE huge CONTINENT. And because the land is connected the whole land got named AMERICA. The map st the congress library shows the name AMERICA WAS GIVEN TO SOUTH AMERICA FIRST THEN IT WAS ADDED TO CENTRAL AND NORTH AMERICA REGIONS, NOT A COUNTRY. THE COUNTRY UNITED STATES WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1776 BUT THE WORD AMERICA WAS USED FOR THE CONTINENT IN EARLY 1500′S , MANY YEARS BEFORE THE US WAS BORN AS A COUNTRY. THEREFORE, United States OF America means just that. A country that is part of or belonging to a continent, what continent America. Again, It shows the birth of the name given to all the land not a country. It does not say Americas. So Americans are everyone from North to South America. Other Comments are made without knowledge is only purpose is
MANIPULATE HISTORY. It does not work that way. Its Geography , in the form of a vertical continent, from the north pole to the south pole. For this reason , America got divided into 3 regions North America,Central America,South America to differentiate each region, but the whole land is America
It seems simple; we are the United States “of” America. We are not America. It says so on every formal document, every passport, every piece of currency. Politicians must realize that if they are speaking for America and Americans then they are speaking for an entire continent, not just one country. That is representation without authorization.
It might be an ego problem. It became easy to call ourselves Americans and since none of us bothered to come up with our own name it remained that way. Just because few objected doesn’t make it right.
Why not United States Citizens or United States Patriots? We should be able to name ourselves in a way that doesn’t insult the rest of the hemisphere.
Why do people continue to lie about Christopher Columbus? He did not discover this country. Even leif Erickson was here before him. Leif even married the chief’s daughter. The relationship was very good. Not barbaric like people are taught. All lies. Get the records straight. Its shouldn’t be called america after an Italian or anyone else. It should be named according to what the true native people want. After all, this is still their land. Everyone else are just guests. Me? I’m Norwegian. And yes, leif was my distant grandfather. I have the family tree to prove it.
As a Canadian, I have always felt it is utterly insulting, inaccurate and very narcissistic of the US to elevate itself and insinuate that the US alone is America: it is not! The world wrongly refers to the US as “America” but Canada and Mexico are as equally American. Regardless of how the US got its name, the classifications “America” and “American” are grossly inaccurate, and the term is, and has been, misused for centuries. America encompasses more than 1 independent nation: it has 3 societies in North America and 13 societies in South America. What justices 16 countries be incorrectly lumped into one classification that elevates one country’s worth much higher than that of their neighbours? I have never understood why the “American” dollar or “American” dream belong to the US alone? One American country of 16 should not be classified as supreme. Canada and Mexico are incorrectly classified and their rightful recognition of being “American “ has been ignored to allow one country to boast on the world stage as the nation of all nations. The only difference between Canada and the US is the population. Being 2021, it is time the terms “America” and “American” were properly defined and taught to future generations to reflect accuracy and not mere favouritism of one country of 16.
Craig, you are exactly correct. The word “of” is key as part of the use of the term “American” and is not indicative 1 nation is of sole importance. Just because 1 country of 16 claimed itself as the only Americans, it does not, legally or otherwise, entitle US citizens to deem themselves the only Americans on the planet! What bothers me as a true American is the world unquestionably has accepted this gross error and 1 nation has been incorrectly afforded a title they alone do not own. The “American” culture is a “North American” culture that exists in 3 countries, and is not exclusive to 1 nation alone because that nation deemed itself as such. Nothing is further from the truth! Thanks for the unarguable clarification of many titles applicable to the US but the title “American” should not be a term used worldwide to exclude most of the North American continent’s population.
The continent of North America is a combination of 3 independent countries. One country has the largest land mass, Canada, one country has the largest economy, the US, and the 3rd country is the smallest, being Mexico. To classify “only” US citizens as American while ignoring more than half the continent’s land mass and its citizens is not correct. US soil, less than half the continent, is not the only occupied soil in North America. 2 countries that make up more than half a continent should not be denied their right, or the honour, to call themselves American as they live in North America as any US citizen does. All 3 countries in North America are equally “American” by association. Look at Europe. It has 44 countries but have you ever heard “Russia of Europe” or “France of Europe” or any other “of Europe” country use Europe when claiming their identity? No. Why? Because 1 country of 44 cannot claim to be the only people entitled to address themselves as European. That makes perfect sense and 3 countries in North America are no different. Look at Turkey: it borders 3 continents but do you ever hear “Turkey of Asia”, or “Turkey of Africa” or “Turkey of Europe”? No. Turkey is part of all 3 continents but is not regarded as the only chosen nationality of any one continent. The reason the US has had the right to claim they are the only “Americans” in North America is their population far exceeds that of Canada and Mexico combined, and Canada and Mexico accepted this massive population could assume the title of being American centuries ago. The US has always been more populated than the other 2 North American countries, and it has massive wealth compared to most nations. Regardless of how the US got its name “of America”, or how populated it is or has been, or how rich it is compared to the other countries, I think it is unreasonable to say residents of 1 of 3 countries that occupies less than half the continent has the right to exclusively claim themselves as the only people entitled to use the continent’s geographical position in their name. While that is 100% true, it will not ever happen. US citizens have been recognized worldwide as the only “Americans” for far too long for it to ever change now, whether is it technically correct or not.
HI AM NOT EXISTING BUT DOESN’T AMERICA MEAN FREEDOM PEACE AND LIBERTY AND YEAAH YA KNOW, RIGHT.
America – “The land of the Plumed or (Feathered) Serpent”
To #58 Alex Triana, where do you get the notion that there are only 2 countries in North America? This is exactly what you wrote: “The USA is in fact one of two countries in North America.” North America consists of 3 countries last I remember.
Anyways, back to the name “America”. Once you truly take the time and make the effort to dig and research information (which is very much suppressed) on this subject, you will find that the name America is derived from the name “Amaru khan”. “Amaru” is a term that in ancient peruvian mythology referred to a flying, feathered, winged serpent (sounds like a dragon to me). A definition of the term “Khan” is a king; a prince; a chief; a governor used mainly by countries of Muslim descent. So the land of “Amaru Kahn” would have meant the land or the people under rule of Amaru or the “winged, feathered, flying serpent.” Coincidently, if you traveled north you would find similar “myths.” The Aztecs also had a very important deity that they payed tribute to: Quetzalcoatl or “feathered-flying serpent.” In Mesoamerica, the Mayans had a similar deity called Kukulkan or “the plumed serpent.”
As well as China had winged serpents (Dragons). Pretty much all over our the ancient world. The point is that The Americas that we now know where known as the land ruled by “Amaru” or simplified the land of “Amaru-Khan.”
Well, America is a good place which I wish am there
Hi Marie!
1stly, I like your message as it’s sent in comment #106 … but I don’t understand what you’re saying as you say “Canada and Mexico are incorrectly classified”.
I would like to know, how are Canada and Mexico incorrectly classified?
2ndly, I have many Favorite Comments that are all based on the 2 words “America” and “American”! Some of them come from Canadians, while others come from USAmericans, as well as Latin Americans and the Old World or Oceanians!
If you would like to know each of them … may I have your email address?
3rdly, I have did an American Project and the only way I can show you a picture of it is through email if you would like to look at it!
I could talk to you about your other 2 messages that are written in Comments #107 and #108 as well.
Thanks for mentioning in Comment #107, that I am exactly correct!!!
The internet should be renamed FICTION.
I bust a gut reading everybody’s facts.
“No, I know the TRUTH and I got proof!”…Haa Haa Haa You guys crack me up
Sorry, but it’s far older than that for an origin. Look up the word Amaruca.
Who “discovered” the American continent? Columbus. Américo Vespucci’s name was taken for the continents. Why people is discussing about the name of The United States of America? Envy perhaps? If the name of the continent were Colombia, after his discoverer, would there be people fighting for the name of the Colombia’s country? Did all of you know that Mexico was named United States of Mexico, Colombia and Venezuela also were named United States of Colombia and United States of Venezuela sometime in their history? Are any of them being called United States or are they called Mexico, Colombia, and Venezuela?
The United States of America’s name is AMERICA. The same as Mexico, Colombia, and Venezuela are the names of their respective countries.
America is her real name, and she was very wise to select her name: the same name of the whole continent. Why not? Don’t be envious!
Armorica. Look the name up. Especialy note the meaning and origin of the name, historical context in regard to Brittany/Aquataine, colonisation of Celtic ppl from Wales, Cornwall and surrounds, original usage of armorica as an locality adjective rather than a noun (goes right back to Roman contact with Celts/Gauls, Pliny the elder makes use of Armorcia as a proper noun in his histories) it will all become apparent how the word America came to be applied…
AMERICA is the Unites States of America.
Our Country is United. There is no other Country like the USA or America. This Nation is for all, not just one or two races. And, Our Constitution will preval. God bless America,Our Country, and the rest of the Continent in which other nations see a MODEL of freedom.
America is the United States of America.
To say America is the United States of America is laughable. Only a Yank would say that.
North America, Central America and South America.
The U.S.A isn’t a continent.
It’s also not the centre of the universe.
Today it’s politics are a joke.
United is history. History being one of many things it lacks.
Now England, well now, there’s a country.
Rule Brittania.
– America is NOT JUST the United States of America.
– United States of America’s name is UNITED STATES .
– AMERICA is the respective name of the NEW WORLD .
– The country of USA is United. There is no other country like the USA that is simply referred to as just the United States.
– UNITED STATES is the name of USA’s respective country, just as Mexico, Colombia and Venezuela are the names of their respective countries.
– USA’s Constitution will not prevail.
– God bless United States, the real name of the country, between Canada and Mexico.
– God bless America, Our Continent or Super-Continent, in which USA ridiculously thinks that they can just steal and claim the New World’s name all to/for themselves. In other words, they hijacked the name.
– America is the Americas (North and South combined)!
– United States is the United States of America (USA)!
I mentioned to my Daughter, an googled how did America come by this name, What a pleasure it has been reading your comments. Thank you
To have so many narratives mean the devil stands on lies… sad part the devil only gave yall lies to believe in but didn’t include you in knowing the truth too . Because the truth would empower the people you oppress today.
OFFICIALLY there are many “Americas” as follows:
-The America’s (2 continents, North & South land masses)
SUBDIVISIONS:
-North America
-South America
-Central America
-Carribbean America
-Middle Ameria (Central + Caribbean)
-Latin America
-Anglo America
-United States of America (country)
NAME ORIGINS, revelant & chronological:
-Amerrisque Mountains, Nicaragua
-Amerigo Vespuchi, discoverer of South America 1497 aboard ship Matthew
-Richard Amerike (Kings man who paid Vespuchi for his discovery) 1497
-First citation: Map/Globe with “America” lable, 1507, France
-U.S.A named by Continental Congress, 1776
Hi Kay!
I like your comment, but I will make it a little better …
“OFFICIALLY there are many “Americas”! In fact, All of the Americas can only exist as “Divisions of America”! They are as follows …
NAME: America (aka The Americas / Pan America / The New World —> A combination of North & South land masses)
DIVISIONS:
-United States of America (aka USA / United States – a country)
-North America (Northern + Middle / 23 countries & 18 territories)
-Northern America (3 countries: Canada / United States / Mexico & 3 territories: Greenland / Saint Pierre and Miquelon / Bermuda)
-Middle America (Central + Caribbean / 20 countries & 15 territories)
-Central America (7 countries: Belize / Guatemala / Honduras / El Salvador / Nicaragua / Costa Rica / Panama & 1 Territory: Clipperton Island – aka Phokland)
-Caribbean America (13 Countries: Bahamas / Cuba / Jamaica / Haiti / Dominican Republic / Antigua and Barbuda / Saint Kitts and Nevis / Dominica / Saint Lucia / Saint Vincent and Grenadines / Barbados / Grenada / Trinidad and Tobago & 14 Territories: Turks and Caicos Islands / Cayman Islands / Navassa Island / Puerto Rico / British Virgin Islands / U.S. Virgin Islands / Anguilla / Saint Martin / Saint Barthélemy / Montserrat / Guadeloupe / Martinique / Aruba / Netherlands Antilles)
-South America (12 Countries: Colombia / Venezuela / Guyana / Suriname / Brazil / Ecuador / Peru / Bolivia / Paraguay / Uruguay / Argentina / Chile & 3 Territories: French Guiana / Falkland Islands / South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands)
-Anglo America (14 countries & 13 territories of America that speak the Anglo language “English”! Most of the time, usually is referring to the countries of Canada and USA only. Even sometimes, can simply be referring to Canada, United States and the 3 territories of Northern America only)
-Latin America (21 countries & 8 territories of America that speak the Latin languages “Spanish”, “Portuguese” and “French”! Most of the time, usually is referring to Mexico, and all of Middle + South America – regardless of them being Anglo or Latin countries/territories)”!!
As for your 2nd paragraph concerning the Name Origins, that is nice!
lol he named only the current day southern American continent America. north is flatout terra incognita. this has nothing to do with the USA. technically you should be called the united states of columbia.
His name isn’t even Amerigo…its Albertico….meaning Albert…
Only ignorants name the United States “America”. There is no country in Europe called “Europe”. The term America comes from the Amerrisque mountains in Nicaragua. Before the arrival of Europeans to North America, there was no country called America. There is NO official name “America” for any country in the Americas.
In response to Comment #2, Comment #91, …and a number of others I either skimmed, or skipped over….
I highly recommend checking out YouTube for comedic commentary in the form of this SONG:
“I Am Not American”
by Canadian band
“The Arrogant Worms”.
EXCERPTS:
“I am not American
Though I live in North America,
Which SHOULD make me an American…”
“Geographically, Canadians are certainly Americans.
But not Hawaiians:
They’re out in the middle of the ocean…”
“If I said I was American, people’d probably think I was from Maine…”
“How did two whole continents lose their name to one constituent? Where were we when the U.S. went and took the word…?”
“But, to be fair to them, their other name options…were pretty bad!”
“I want to be as ‘American’, as the French are ‘European’…’
It has become increasingly commonplace to use “America” as shorthand for “United States of America,” but doing so is very, well, imperialistic…
Identifying or referring to the US as “America” is a byproduct or vestige of US imperialism.
While most developed nations use the 7 continent model today, prior to WW2, North and South America were considered a single continent. Russia, Eastern Europe, and parts of Asia still identify NA and SA as a single continent.
Prior to the presidency of Theodore Roosevelt, “America” was never used as shorthand for the US. He was actually the first president to ever formally refer to this country as “America,” and it wasn’t until then that “Americans” became uniformly used as the descriptor of us as a people, though it had been in use by many for quite some time.
Roosevelt’s globe-stomping, in conjunction with his departure from identifying this country as the United States, had stirred up diplomatic grievances abroad, and an identity crisis at home, because not only had we begun annexing and occupying lands around the globe, we were now essentially claiming the entire continent as our own, because again, “America” or “the Americas” was internationally understood to be the entire continent / pair of landmasses.
By the end of his presidency, Roosevelt had returned to the use of “United States” but the moniker, “Americans,” had stuck.
————————-
As bizarre as it sounds, we literally didn’t have an official or common shorthand for the country or for ourselves.
U.S.A., U. States, or United States, but never “America,” literally out of diplomatic deference and respect to the rest of the continent(s).
There was an early, but failed attempt to name the country Columbia, and us, Columbians.
Obviously, the choice was a homage to Christopher Columbus (which is also who present-day Columbia is named for; the Republic of Columbia did not exist until the 1880s). While that name was ultimately not chosen, it is the reason why the US Capitol is in the District of Columbia.
Also, before Francis Scott Key’s lame ass poem was adopted in 1931, “Hail Columbia” and “Columbia, Gem of the Ocean” were our dueling, unofficial national anthems. If you were to look at the chronology of our patriotic songs, poems, etc. you’ll discover that only those written at or after the late 1800s mention “America.”
————————-
So that’s the backstory to contentiousness around the usage of that word. It’s not simply a matter of “whiny libs being overly PC,” although I’m sure there are those who don’t actually know this history and are just being obnoxious lol.
Personally, I try to avoid identifying us as America, but I occasionally do, because “United States of America” is a mouthful.
There is a country called Mexico. The name of the GOVERNMENT of Mexico is called “Estados Unidos Mexicanos”. There is a country called America. The name of the GOVERNMENT of America is called “United States of America”.
The is correct. Everybody else is mistaken.
There is only one country named “America”. When you speak of nationality, only those from this country are “Americans”. When you speak of continents, and of one’s continental identity, then everyone from North and South America are Americans.
A similar debate happens in New York when people from upstate New York claim to be “New Yorkers”. This is because the common usage of the word “New Yorker” refers to people from New York City. It is true that when referring to someone’s state identity that everyone in New York State is a “New Yorker”, but to the people of New York City the work “New Yorker” always refers to people from the city not the state. They both can be used. They both are true.
It is ok to have two continents called America and one country called America. This is factual. Stop saying that Americans from the country of America are wrong, because they are not. The Native Americans did not call the continents America anyways, they had their own names, which would be great to use as well.
This is clarity.
To Robert of Comment #130: You are wrong and are mistaken.
There is no country called “America”. There is no such thing as “Government of America”. There is not only one country named “America”. No country (including USA) ever can use “American” as their nationality. It is “not okay” to have one country called America, when in fact 2 continents are named America.
So to fix up your non-sense …
There is a country called Mexico. The name of the GOVERNMENT of Mexico is called “Estados Unidos Mexicanos” (in English “United Mexican States”). There is a country called United States. The name of the GOVERNMENT of United States is called “United States of America”.
That is correct. Only people from USA are mistaken.
There is only one country named “United States”. When you speak of nationality, only those from this country are “United Statesians” or “United Statesers”. When you speak of continents, and of one’s continental identity, then everyone from North and South America are Americans.
The demonym “Americans” can only be used for referring to the 1 or 2 continent(s) of the New World and never for USA’s nationality.
The same thing applies to all similar debates, such as the debate that happens in New York when people from “the State of New York” claim to be “New Yorkers”. This is where the common usage of the word “New Yorker” should be referring to all people from “New York State” only and never for New York City’s identity. It is true that whenever referring to someone’s state identity, everyone in New York State is a “New Yorker”, and the people of New York City should always be using the term “New Yorkians” as their city identifier instead of “New Yorker” whenever they are referring to the people of their city only.
All people who live beyond the “New York City” borders should say “New Yorkians” if they are referring to people of the New York City only (which is not including the state) and say “New Yorkers” if they are referring to people of the New York State. They both can be used commonly for less confusion between the state and the city of New York. They both are true!
However, It is not ok to have multiple definitions/meanings for the name “America” and the demonym “American”. 2 continents are named America and not one country (such as USA) gets to call itself America/Americans only. This is factual.
So I personally will not stop saying that Americans from the country of United States are wrong, because they are. The Native Americans may not have called the continents “America”, but both continents are still America and all people of both continents are forever Americans anyways, being as they were given that name/demonym 250 years way earlier before “United States of America” even became the name of a country. It is okay though if Native Americans have had their own names at the time, which would be great to use as well.
This is clarity!
America wasn’t named after Amerigo V.. If fact his name was actually Alberigo which is Latin for Albert. America is name after Ameru aka Quetzalcoatl (the Plumed Serpant). -ica is a suffix which means “that which pertains or relates to”. Amer-ica. [Islam]
Boy, there’s a lot of “experts” putting forth their opinion, does it really matter? Would it not be proper to refer to us ALL as the peoples of THE AMERICA’s, which is what we are. I live in Canada which is north AMERICA, therefore, part of THE AMERICA’S…the same can be said for Mexico and other parcels & islands which are known as south AMERICA. The UNITED STATES OF AMERICA is the center (or, heart of the AMERICA’s) and I see and agree that they are AMERICAN’s. We should feel lucky and look forward, not backward and cause unnecessary negativity amongst ourselves – we are the people of THE AMERICA’S, and I am darn proud of that!
Hey Patricia.
I’m one of the “experts” putting forth facts – not my opinions – on this blog, and it does really matter if the country of USA thinks “they are all of America and the only Americans in the world” because they are NOT.
“Would it not be proper to refer to us ALL as the peoples of The AMERICAs, which is what we are?” … Well, it may be proper, but it is also proper to refer to us ALL as the peoples of AMERICA!
I live in Canada too, and I agree that Canada is North AMERICA, which is part of the Americas, but THE AMERICAS combined ARE AMERICA! Therefore, CANADA IS AMERICA, because it’s in North America, which is “the NORTH part of AMERICA”! The same can be said for Mexico to Panama and the Caribbean, which are known as North AMERICA, as well as other parcels & islands which are known as South AMERICA.
“The UNITED STATES OF AMERICA is the center (or, heart of the AMERICA’s)” … hahaha, I personally don’t see USA as the heart of the Americas and I’m not believing USA is the center. However, I do agree that they are Americans, NOT at all by their nationality, but by their Double-Continent.
How can I feel lucky and look forward, if USA likes stealing the name America and the demonym American, by claiming both words all to itself? Of course, We are the people of THE AMERICAS, which totally proves, we ARE ALL the people OF AMERICA! Therefore, we are all AMERICANS, not only U.S. Citizens!
As a Canadian, I AM TRUELY AMERICAN, and I am darn proud of that! :o)
Thank you for the U.S.A.
I am very paranoid that you put U.S.A Instead of U.S.O.A.
Wow! How can any of this get any resolve… where we just move forward… bring to a close – with all due respect given to all the variations and positions.
I respect all the alternatives above; they are all heartfelt coming from a deep understanding of how we were all taught and made to understand – a particular fact…
Why not evolve and jump into this century; understanding our human nature and where time has currently placed us…. today! I don’t see an issue with “United States Of America”… it has a natural righteous ring to it; covers our human nature… as the human species continues to migrant and evolve – the planet belongs to all of us who inhabit it’s space. No matter wherever we come from!
I don’t mind the ring of “United States Of America” it fits! After all, our DNA proves it, holding the status for FACTS.
U DID NOT ANSWER my question. The United States of N.A. is only 1/3rd of the Americas. I ASKED why is IT CALLED AMERICA!!!!!
Named after the native serpent god Amara, you are welcome.
Interesting, its kind if like Russian, Russia is not a country of its own nor its a nationality, its just a part of lands that got the name from Slavs when Scandinavians seeking for new lands sailed through rivers and got the name Russ witch hase something to do with rowing or sailing . Anyway thats how we got Kiev’s Russ.. and first the first king/Prince Rurik which is stayed up Viking name… They fought with the neighbors brothers sisters until in 1600 Peter the first who was a king of Moscowya invaded all the lands of Russ and and realized if he names himself Russia then he’ll get to steal all the roselands with it claim it as his own.. now to this day Vladimir Putin claims on the roselands as part of Russia.. even though it got occupied by everybody around in Europe and in Asia. That sounds to me like same story with America America is just the name of continents but once you claim the name as your own you get to control it or at least pretend like it. But all these stories and arguments don’t help anybody I do it for love of history … And if we don’t start uniting and arguing what belongs to who and who is native or who needs to get paid for what will end up back in 1600s but everyone’s going to be killing everyone and civilizations will die out cuz no one’s having babies and everyone’s gay, I can see a modern Chinge Chkhan finally taking over half the world because everyone’s too busy arguing with that neighbors and Friends about what belongs to who and who was where first 600years ago.. but yes Russia is the same word as America it’s not a nationality it’s not a country it’s just a name for certain drugs or lens that different countries occupied.
US of America*
*Meaning the continent
They were the first states to unite and be free from european crowns.
by that time and still for many people like Spaniards and latin Americans, theres only one American continent. Not 2.
Otherwise it would of been named The United States of North America.
Ask any spaniard how many continents there are, theyre the conquistador they know.
I completely understand the hostility of many towards using ‘America’ and ‘American’in connection with the USA. However, in US revolutionary days, people in Europe (especially in Britain) would have referred to their rebellious compatriots living in the New World as “the Americans”. That is obviously because they had gone to live in colonies in North America. That name just stuck in the centuries following.
Now there are the ‘Estados Unidos Mexicanos’ which are called ‘Mexico.’I believe Brazil was once called: ‘los Estados Unidos do Brasil’. – which were Brazil. I think either Venezuela or Colombia once had the name in Spanish of “United States of ….” Indonesia was briefly called the ‘United States of Indonesia’ (in Dutch ‘ Verenigt Staten van Indonesia’.) Of course they were referring to Indonesia. There was talk of a ‘United States of Europe’ being formed, which would have referred to the EUbor the continent of Europe.
So don’t be surprised if the United States of America tend(s) to use the name ‘America.’The others all did!
The name of our nation of course is “United States of America,” not “America,” the latter term applicable to the whole western hemisphere. From afar, the appropriation of “America” to mean “United States of America,” can seem at one extreme provincial, at the other extreme imperialistic. Spanish speakers have the concept of “hacerse la América,” meaning to get rich in the Western Hemisphere (ordinarily in a Spanish-speaking place) without necessarily living there permanently.
In 1984 William Safire, concerned about the accuracy or propriety of using “American” as the name of a denizen of the United States of America, sought alternatives, finding none, such as “Unisian,” “United Statesian,” “Usian,” or Frank Lloyd Wright’s “Usonian,” satisfactory. Spanish speakers however are comfortable with “estadounidense” (also with informal “yanki”). Fowler’s Dictionary of Modern English Usage (1965) observes that “the use of ‘America’ for the ‘United States’ and ‘American’ for ‘citizen of the U.S.’ … will continue to be protested against by purists and patriots and will doubtless survive the protests.” Evans’s Dictionary of Contemporary American Usage comments “If it’s any comfort to those who resent it, the usage is founded on a lazy disinclination to pronounce the longer name rather than arrogance.”
I and a friend have an interest in language and all that in all it’s particular’s.
I think I’ve learned more history from the comments than from the article.
I am a U.S. American.
North, South, Central and Latin America citizens are all American.
U.S. Americans should refer to themselves as such “U.S. Americans” instead of just Americans but we have a bad habit of shortening language down.
The country nickname for the U.S. “America” is ambiguous with the continent. Which makes most of these arguments about semantics. It’s understandably confusing.
Also, whomever decided to go with the name “United States of America” was either not very creative or planned to expand across the entire continent. Either way, respectfully the least creative country name on the planet.
I cannot help that I’m from Anglo-Saxon decent, or that my forefathers committed atrocities and fought wars against the native people of the Americas, wiping many tribes off the map entirely – but I can sincerely apologize for their actions, and hope that one day we can put aside the past and hate and join together for a better future of diversity across the entire continent.
War over land and resources was already commonplace in Europe and that same destructive mentality was brought over by the European explorers and settlers.
Amerigo Vespucci never set foot in North America. He traveled throughout South America. At first America referred to South America. Then, America meant the entire continent. But today US people like to imagine they own the name. Sigh
You so-called americans are so ARROGANT and IGNORANT. This site tells that Martin Waldsemuller named a whole continent AMERICA in honor of Amerigo Vespucci.
The historian David Rohl has claimed parallels between Enmerkar, builder of Uruk, and Nimrod, ruler of biblical Erech (Uruk), who, according to some extra-biblical legends, was supposedly the architect of the Tower of Babel. Perhaps that ancient king Enmerkar/Nimrod of ancient Babylon is the namesake of America, ie, United States of Enmerkar as it is becoming increasingly clear that this latter-day land is Babylon the Great referred to in the Holy Bible, replete with its ancient Masonic symbolism found through and through. No other nation on Earth comes close to the description given Babylon the Great save the USA. America the great is simply Enmerkar. As in the days of Noah so shall it be at the end of the age.
Nice
Hey all! I know that I have sent these messages in Comments #70 and #91 before, but I thought that I would resend a better version of them for Comment #150:
In Real & Proper English:
1) “North(ern) America” refers to “the NORTH(ERN) part of AMERICA” or means “in the North of America”!
2) “South(ern) America” refers to “the SOUTH(ERN) part of AMERICA” or means “in the South of America”!
3) “North Americans” ARE “Americans living in the North part of America” or “AMERICANS of the NORTH”!
4) “South Americans” ARE “Americans living in the South part of America” or “AMERICANS of the SOUTH”!
Directional words “North”, “East”, “South” and “West” including …
“Central”, “Middle”, “Latin” and “Anglo” are …
1) just ‘PARTS’ of … the word/name next to them.
2) really ‘DIFFERENT TYPES’ of … the word’s/name’s demonym.
The country’s name “United States OF America” clearly is in other words:
1) ……………………. “United Countries OF The New World”!
2) …………………………………. “1 Nation OF 2 Continents”!
3) …………………….. “A Country Name OF A Double-Continent Name”!
4) “An Official-Short Country Name OF A Single-Continent Name”!
5) …………………….. “50 United States OF The Americas”!
6) ……………………….. “A Union Name OF its Geographical Location Name”!
7) … “50 States United as 1 Country OF North and South America”!
8) ……………………….. “National Name OF 1 Continent”!
9) ……………………………….. “1 Country OF 35 Countries in total”!
10) ……………………….… “1 Nationality OF 60 Entities overall”!
11) “13 Original to 50 Official States OF Pan America”!
12) ……………… “A Modifying Subject OF A Prepositional Object”!
Side Note: I may get back to this with additional information whenever possible!
There is a common myth that America was named after Amerigo Vespucci, although there is no evidence for this, and the spelling or Amerigo and America are only superficially similar.
But America was actually named after Richard Amerike, the wealthy Welsh sponsor of John Cabot’s first English expedition to America in 1497…Cabot named it in his honour as without his sponsorship the expedition could never have taken place.
Amerigo Vespucci did not sail to the America’s until 1502, 5 years after Cabot’s expedition, by which time it was already known as America.
(I am Argentinian) There is an American historian, David Tollen, who says that what was actually founded on July 4, 1776 was not ONE country but several, a confederation (that is, an organization of nations), as the document proves “The Articles of Conference and Perpetual Union”. This explains its curious name, more similar to that of an international institution (as for the current Organization of American States) than to that of a country “The United States of America”. Later in their history they would definitely decide to be a single nation, perhaps at that moment they should have thought of a new and more appropriate name, but it did not happen.
The human rights portion must’ve went into effect after the Trail of Tears. I don’t consider robbing the Native Americans of their land and sending thousands off to die a part of human rights.
The Library Of Congress States That The Name “America” Comes From The Explorer Amerigo Vespucci Although I Have Also Read That The Name “America” Actually Comes From Another Explorer Before Vespucci Known As Richard Ameryk. Which One Is The Right Explorer Or Are They Both Right?
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After Reading All These Comments SBW Must Add And Clarify That The Name America Is The Actual Union Of Two Continents Under The One Name: The Organization Of American States, The New World, And The Western Hemisphere.
The North American Continent Was Named In Honor Of Richard Ameryk While At The Same Time The South American Continent Was Named In Honor Of Amerigo Vespucci. The Name Of Al Morocco Could Be A Lucky Coincidence As Could Be Many Of The Other Explanations Here.
The Fact To Remember Is That The Founding Fathers Knew That Empires And Monarchies Were Not The Way To Guarantee A Great Future. Instead, The Founding Fathers Knew That United Was And Would Be The Only Way For The Future To Be Successful. Uniting States Or Nations Were The Most Logical Solutions At The Time. Of Course, Uniting People And Giving Them Rights And Power Were Also Important But Would Become More Important In The Future As The World Evolved And Progressed.
In The Eyes Of The Founding Fathers, The Whole Continents Of The Americas Would Eventually Become Part Of The United States Of America. That Union Would Have Been The Perfect New World “America”. Of Course, The Founding Fathers Knew There Would Be More States But Not Necessarily More Powerful Nations In The Americas. Of Course, With Evolution Comes New Understandings, Unions, And Principles.
In The Americas, The Organization Of American States Evolved. In Europe, The North Atlantic Treaty Organization Evolved. In The World, The United Nations Evolved And While More Still Needs To Be Done To Protect Our Nature And Our World The Founding Fathers Should Be Mighty Proud That The World Has Come Far Enough.
“We, The People, In Order To Create The Perfect Future Must Come Together, Work Together, Sacrifice Together, Help Each Other, Learn Together, Build Together, And Create Our Brooklyn World, Our Brooklyn Solar City (System), Our Brooklyn Galaxy, And Our Brooklyn Universe At Last.”
By SIR BROOKLYN WORLD
The Last Founding Father