For 236 years, the United States has stood as a symbol of freedom, democracy, and hope throughout the world. It has endured countless wars and even more impressive, it has maintained a sense of unity despite being the fourth largest country on Earth.
But how did the USA actually become the USA? In the early days, the land was coined "The United Colonies of North America." Delegates from throughout the colonies debated this issue for many years, citing that the term "colonies" implied a connection to Great Britain. As a fledgling country at war, the last thing that many of the delegates wanted was ties to their enemy.
In July of 1776, it was decided to use the term "states" to define the colonies as separate from the British Empire. As a result, the Declaration of Independence lists the original 13 colonies as "states" for the sake of showing rebellion against the British crown.
However, for weeks afterward, the issue was unresolved. A small minority of delegates embraced the idea of having this grammatical tie with Great Britain, believing that despite being independent, the nation was like a "child" of Britain, and that you should not completely disown your "Motherland."
The "Motherland" may have started the colonies, but as the war continued, Loyalists to Great Britain were quickly outnumbered by the general populace, and the days of the Colonies became numbered.
And so, after nearly three months of intense debate, it was declared on September 9, 1776, that the United Colonies of North America would henceforth be called the United States of America.
In truth, such a division of government was considered "dangerous" and many of the superpowers of the day believed that the United States would suffer a miserable defeat and be reincorporated into the British Empire. No doubt, the United States has suffered many defeats and hardships, even to the point of Civil War during the 1860s. However, the tradition of perserverance has continued, and the ideas of freedom and liberty still continue to this day.
Perhaps the most important date that is never mentioned– September 9th, the day the USA was born.
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