Thread: Why are they called Americans?

Originally Posted by JMS

I can't believe the mods deleted travellers post!
That was a great post and very funny!
I wonder who got their panties in a bunch over his post?

I agree. It was obviously made in jest and I laughed out loud. That said, the mods do a good job here and like any sports official, they'll make a few mistakes from time to time and should be forgiven. Not a big problem in the grand scheme.

Jordan
Italian/WASP-American

Haw Haw Haw!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.Full best regards to all,including the non deserving.Gary

I suspuct as do some others, that the name goes back to colonial tims. When we were under King George (George III, not GWB), the English referred to the American Colonies. It seems logical to refer to the colonists as Americans and it probably just never went away. As for the United States, it was a much looser union than we have today. We had each been individual colonies under British rule and when we broke with mother England, the idea of being a single nation took some time to sink in. Prior to the Civil War, the term, "United Staes" was used as a plural, i.e., "These are the united states." Only after Lincoln cemented the Union did people referto the US as a singular as in, "This is the United States." Well, history class is over. I'm going to go shave.

Originally Posted by hoglahoo

When did the French ever occupy the USA?

Up until the Louisiana Purchase.

there ya go then.

Originally Posted by hoglahoo

Hey, Icedog is joking already!

The USA was occupied by the french and british? The last of the British occupiers left the US in 1783 (before it was even considered the USA by 99% of the world) more than a decade before Napoleon renamed the Netherlands and set up his own little kingdom there. When did the French ever occupy the USA?

Educate !

Are you forgetting the war of 1812? The British did not occupy all that much, but we have been occupied to some extent after independence. Also, depending on how you look at the Civil war, the USA was occupied by the CSA in different regions for ~4 years.

And at least to my recollection the French never occupied the USA proper, but had land that is now a part of the USA (along with the Spanish, Dutch, Russians, Swedes, Mexicans, and obviously British).

I haven't read through all the posts, but I noticed somewhere it being mentioned that America is from the local languages, when it is actually from the name of an Italian explorer Amerigo Vespucci, and was then popularized on different maps.

Lastly, the reason I don't like United Statesians as a term is that it is ignored in most titles, but stuck for us. You wouldn't call someone from China a "People's Republican" because they are from the People's Republic of China. I don't know if this makes any sense, but that is how I think of it.

Originally Posted by LX_Emergency

Interesting my dear Watson...but you are not in posession of all the facts:

I was born in the USA and am therefore an United Statian As well as a Dutchman

So no.

As for the following poster, Icedog.

That's a bit of a cheap shot at WW2 (I think) wasn't it? Because since then we honestly haven't been occupied (at least not since the USA was occupied by the french and british.) since or before that.

And NO...it was NOT just to get a rise. It was an honest question. I honestly wondered. It seems that there is no clear cut answer though. Because a lot of people some to have suggestions as to what COULD be the reason....but no-one has any certain answers.

I'm surprised though. I can't have been the first person to have ever wondered this have I?

Nonsense. The answer is obvious. Personally I don't believe you don't know why we are called Americans. I say this only because I think you are smarter than that. Are you also confused about why Australians are Australians or Africans Africans?

If you go through life telling others what is and what is not a joking matter you will experience much chafing. Unless something causes one direct pain it is best to be able to laugh about everything. I have driven around the Netherlands and come across a Nazi tank sitting in the middle of a round about. If the memory of occupation is so painful why don't you erase it?

Yes, the USA has been occupied, by the British. We decided to put them out in a little exercise called the Amrican Revolution. Since then we've been helping other folks. So there.

Originally Posted by icedog

Nonsense. The answer is obvious. Personally I don't believe you don't know why we are called Americans. I say this only because I think you are smarter than that. Are you also confused about why Australians are Australians or Africans Africans?

If you go through life telling others what is and what is not a joking matter you will experience much chafing. Unless something causes one direct pain it is best to be able to laugh about everything. I have driven around the Netherlands and come across a Nazi tank sitting in the middle of a round about. If the memory of occupation is so painful why don't you erase it?

Yes, the USA has been occupied, by the British. We decided to put them out in a little exercise called the Amrican Revolution. Since then we've been helping other folks. So there.

Re-read my original post. I'm not confused about Australians....because they're from Australia. I'm not confused about Africans....because they come from the continent of Africa.

Americans (as they're called) however...come from the United States of America, BUT Canadians also come from the continent of America, so are they Americans as well? I think a lot of people from the United States would be almost insulted at the suggestion that Mexicans are Americans too.....


As for WW2. Over here it's something that we deem important to remember....not something to joke about though.

Americans do come from America, North America. A real mystery is why people from the Netherlands are called Dutch. Why isn't your country called Dutchland? I understand the name of the country used to be Holland but even then the residents weren't Hollandish or Hollanders.

Hey, by the way, how's your son doing in the contest?

Originally Posted by hoglahoo

When did the French ever occupy the USA?

Franco-American relations have always puzzled me. As far as I understand it there was a time when they were so poor that French Fries were renamed 'Freedom Fries'. Or perhaps that was urban legend. Where does the poor relations stem from? Was it from the occupation or is it a more recent thing? I seem to recall that the French and the Americans exchanged hefty monuments... I vaguely recall French involvement in the Statue of Liberty (though I could easily be wrong).

In more recent times Jacques Chirac and his American opposite seemed to not get on but since the election of Sarkosy things seem to have perked up. Am I right? I ut it down to Sarkosy's schmoozing