Prompt Cast
The Evolution of the Name "United States of America"
TLDR The term "United States of America" was not the original choice for the name of the country, with "America" first being applied to South America. Over time, the term "America" became more commonly used to refer to the United States, and the term "United States" shifted from plural to singular usage.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
The United States of America wasn't everyone's first choice for the name of the country.
01:30
The word "America" was first used in 1507 on a map created by Martin Waldseidmuller, and it was originally only applied to South America.
02:48
The term "United States of America" was first used in a private letter in 1776 and later published in a newspaper.
04:02
The term "United States of America" was considered a mouthful and there were attempts to change it, such as proposing the name "Fredonia" and changing the demonym from "American" to "Fredonian."
05:15
The term "America" as a short form for the United States wasn't widely used until the 20th century, with "Columbia" being the more common term in the 19th century.
06:26
The term "United States" has shifted from being used in the plural to being used in the singular over time, with the change starting during the Civil War.
07:33
The United States of America is the only country in the world with the term "America" in its name, but it is not the only country to use the words "United States" in their name, such as Mexico's official name being Estados Unidos Mexicanos, or the United States of Mexico.
