[Ads-l] Early Citation for "U.S.A."

Wed Jan 13 17:16:34 UTC 2021

Here is an article published in June 1782 with a dateline of May 18,
1782. The article described an artwork with "U.S.A" corresponding to
United States of America. The Revolutionary War continued into 1783.

Date: June 8, 1782
Newspaper: Boston Evening-Post and the General Advertiser
Newspaper Location: Boston, Massachusetts
Article Dateline: Philadelphia, May 18
Quote Page 2, Column 2
Database: GenealogyBank

[Begin excerpt]
The principal piece represented a triumphal arch, in the midst of
which were to be seen three transparent paintings, executed by the
ingenious Mr. Peale, which drew particular attention.

On that of the middle were represented the United States of America,
by a circle of thirteen stars, in the midst whereof was the cypher U.
S. A. the whole was encircled with wreaths of laurels . . .
[End excerpt]

Garson

On Wed, Jan 13, 2021 at 9:10 AM Peter Reitan <pjreitan at hotmail.com> wrote:
>
> Similarly, letter from "Joshua Johnson, Esq, Consul to the U. S.A." published in the Evening Mail (London, England), September 12, 1796, page 2.
>
> https://www.newspapers.com/clip/67533048/the-evening-mail/
> ________________________________
> From: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU> on behalf of Stephen Goranson <goranson at DUKE.EDU>
> Sent: Wednesday, January 13, 2021 4:51:58 AM
> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Subject: Re: Early Citation for "U.S.A."
>
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Stephen Goranson <goranson at DUKE.EDU>
> Subject:      Re: Early Citation for "U.S.A."
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> 1797, Oct. 17, Connecticut journal [New Haven; AmHistN] 2/3
>
> Joshua Johnson, Esq.
> Consul to the U. S. A.
>
> Stephen G.
>
> Johnson (1744-1802) consul in London
> ________________________________
> From: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU> on behalf of Shapir=
> o, Fred <fred.shapiro at YALE.EDU>
> Sent: Wednesday, January 13, 2021 7:26 AM
> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Subject: Early Citation for "U.S.A."
>
> Here's an earlier citation for "U.S.A.":
>
> 1809 Rutland Vermont Herald 28 Jan. 3 (America's Historical Newspapers)  Th=
> e Hon. JAMES MADISON is elected PRESIDENT of the U. S. A.
>
> Fred Shapiro
>
>
> ________________________________
> From: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU> on behalf of Jonath=
> an Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM>
> Sent: Tuesday, January 12, 2021 10:11 PM
> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Subject: Re: Antedating "U.S."
>
> I
> Here's another good one:
>
> 1792  The House, by message, had informed the Senate, that THE PRESIDENT of
> the U.S. had signed the Post-Office Act.
>
> II
> This is undoubtedly for "United States Army":
>
> 1814 _Baltimore Telegraph_ (Dec. 23) 1: AMOS WOODWARD / Lieut. 14th Reg.
> U.S.A.
>
> But this isn't:
>
> 1817 _Franklin Herald_ (Greenfield, Mass.) (Sept. 16) 1: John Adams, Esq. /
> Late President, U.S.A.
>
> JL
>
> On Tue, Jan 12, 2021 at 4:54 PM Laurence Horn <laurence.horn at yale.edu>
> wrote:
>
> > Wondering if either of you, or anyone else to hand, has antedates for
> > U.S.A., which the OED conflates with U.S. but provides no instances of.
> > Presumably they have no cites prior to 1834 or they=92d have listed them.
> > Just curious what the time lag was between U.S. and U.S.A., I=92m guessin=
> g
> > with the former at least somewhat earlier (especially since military
> > contexts might be absent).
> >
> > LH (please excuse duplicate messages--having mailer problems)
> > LH
> >
> > On Jan 12, 2021, at 3:22 PM, Shapiro, Fred <fred.shapiro at YALE.EDU> wrote:
> >
> > Great work, Jon !  Here's a slightly earlier citation:
> >
> > 1787 _Pittsburgh Gazette_ 3 Mar. 4/1 (America's Historical Newspapers)  W=
> .
> > FINNEY, Capt. first U. S. Reg.
> > NOTE:  This occurs in a notice dated 1786.
> >
> > Fred Shapiro
> >
> >
> > ________________________________
> > From: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU> on behalf of
> > Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM>
> > Sent: Tuesday, January 12, 2021 2:21 PM
> > To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> > Subject: Antedating "U.S."
> >
> > OED: 1834
> >
> > 1788 _Kentucky Gazette_ (Lexington) (Oct. 11) 1: Capt. 1st U.S. Reg.
> >
> > 1790 _Pennsylvania Packet_ (Phila.) (Apr. 26) 3: The bill for regulating
> > the military establishment of the U.S.
> >
> > 1791 _Aurora General Advertiser_ (Phila.) (Dec. 6) 4: Constitution of the
> > U.States....Laws of the U.S.
> >
> > 1797 _Hartford Courant_ (Sept. 11) 1: The part...will be lost by a divisi=
> on
> > of the U.S.
> >
> > 1798  _Spooner's Vermont Journal_ (Windsor, Vt.) (July 17) 2: It will be
> > proper to take into view the public audiance [sic] given to the late
> > Minister of the U.S. on his taking leave of the executive directory.
> >
> > 1807 _Public Advertiser_ (NYC) (Jan. 20) 2:  In the House of
> > Representatives of the U. States, on Thursday, Jan. 15, the bill providin=
> g
> > for the punishment of certain crimes against the U.S. was read the third
> > time and passed without a division.
> >
> > JL
> > --
> > "If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the truth=
> ."
> >
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> --
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>
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