In 1776, 'United States of America' was formally adopted by Congress, centuries later U.S. President Donald Trump reiterates renaming Strait of Hormuz, Lake Ontario, New Mexico

In 1776, the second Continental Congress formally adopted the name "United States of America", replacing the “United Colonies of North America." Although the Declaration of Independence had already introduced the phrase on July 4, Congress officially ordered the name change on September 9, 1776. This seemingly small adjustment carried enormous political meaning: it reflected the colonies’ decision to stop describing themselves as possessions of an empire and begin presenting themselves as independent states.

The story began with growing resistance to British rule. During the 1760s and early 1770s, disputes over taxation, trade, and imperial authority increasingly damaged the relationship between Britain and its North American colonies. The First Continental Congress met in 1774 to coordinate opposition, while the Second Continental Congress convened in Philadelphia in May 1775 after armed conflict had begun. What started as an effort to defend colonial rights gradually became something much more ambitious. Congress established the Continental Army, issued currency, managed diplomatic affairs, and increasingly performed the functions of a national government. The language used to describe this emerging authority therefore mattered.