[Ads-l] More on Antedating of "United States"

[Shapiro, Fred]

In 2023 I posted (see below) about antedating the term "United States" (as opposed to "United States of America," which occurs earlier, and not referring to the Dutch provinces).  The OED's earliest citation for this term is dated 10 October 1776.

Stephen Winick of the Library of Congress has pointed out to me that my 19 Feb. 1776 citation is really not that different from "United States of America."  He has also pointed out that the 28 Feb. 1776 John Adams citation is not properly dated, it is actually taken from Adams's later autobiography rather than his Feb. 1776 diary.

As a result of the above corrections, the following is the earliest citation I have found for the "United States" term:

1776 Virginia Gazette 17 May 3/1 (Genealogy Bank)  The following toasts were given, each of them accompanied by a discharge of the artillery and small-arms, and the acclamations of all present:  1. The American independent states.  2. The Grand Congress of the United States, and their respective legislatures.

The context of the Virginia Gazette item was a report on a 15 May 1776 convention in Williamsburg.

Fred Shapiro

________________________________
From: Shapiro, Fred <fred.shapiro at yale.edu>
Sent: Thursday, November 2, 2023 8:54 PM
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
Subject: Further Antedating of "United States"

United States [as opposed to "United States of America" and not referring to the Dutch provinces] (OED 1776 [10 Oct.])

1776 _Contract Between the Secret Committee and Silas Deane and Others_ [copy at South Carolina Historical Society] 19 Feb. (Founders Online)  Be it remembered, that it is agreed by and between ... Members of the Committee of Secrecy appointed by the Honorable Continental Congress of the thirteen United States in North America.

1776 _Diary of John Adams_ 28 Feb. (Founders Online)  We therefore could do nothing but keep our Eyes fixed on the great Objects of free Trade, new Governments and Independence of the United States.

Fred Shapiro

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