BSED Major in Social Studies 2

History of America

The name "America" has its origins from the name of Italian explorer Amerigo Vespucci. Here’s a brief overview of how the name came to represent the continent and later the United States:

1. Amerigo Vespucci: Vespucci was an Italian navigator and cartographer who made voyages to the New World in the late 15th and early 16th centuries. He was one of the first to suggest that the lands discovered by Christopher Columbus were not part of Asia but rather a new continent.

2. Mapmaking: The name "America" was first used in a map published in 1507 by the German cartographer Martin Waldseemüller. In this map, he named the new continent "America" in honor of Vespucci, using the Latin version of his name, "Americus."

3. Spread of the Name: Over time, the name "America" came to be associated with both North and South America. It was widely adopted in maps and literature, leading to its general use to refer to the entire continent.

4. United States of America: When the thirteen colonies declared independence from Britain in 1776, they referred to themselves as the "United States of America." The name emphasized their collective identity as states united under a federal government.

Thus, the name "America" has evolved from a tribute to an explorer into a term that encompasses the entire continent and specifically the United States.

The names of the individual states in America generally come from various sources, including Native American languages, European explorers, settlers, and historical figures. Here's a brief overview of how some states got their names:

1. Alabama: Derived from the Alabama River, which likely comes from the Choctaw words meaning "thicket-clearers" or "vegetation."

2. California: Named after a fictional island in the 16th-century Spanish novel "Las Sergas de Esplandián," which described a paradise inhabited by Amazon-like women.

3. Florida: From the Spanish word "florido," meaning "flowery," as it was discovered during the Easter season (Pascua Florida).

4. Hawaii: Likely named after Hawaiki, the legendary homeland of the Polynesians, or from the word "Hawai'i," which may mean "the place of the gods."

5. Kentucky: From the Iroquois word "ken-tah-ten," which means "land of tomorrow" or "meadow land."

6. Massachusetts: Named after the Massachusett tribe, meaning "at the great hill" or "near the great hill."

7. Montana: From the Spanish word "montaña," meaning "mountain."

8. New York: Named in honor of the Duke of York, after the British seized it from the Dutch in 1664.

9. Oregon: The origins are uncertain, but it may derive from the Spanish word "orejón," meaning "big ear," or from a Native American word.

10. Texas: Derived from the Caddo word "taysha," meaning "friend" or "ally."

11. Virginia: Named in honor of Queen Elizabeth I of England, who was known as the "Virgin Queen."

12. Washington: Named after George Washington, the first President of the United States.

Each state's name reflects a unique blend of history, culture, and language, often tied to the people and events that shaped its identity.

Here's a more detailed history of how each U.S. state got its name, including the origins and meanings:

1. Alabama

Origin: The name "Alabama" is believed to derive from the Choctaw words "alba" (to clear) and "amo" (thicket), meaning "the thicket-clearers" or "vegetation."