United States

== Etymology ==
{{Further|Names of the United States|Demonyms for the United States}}

The first documentary evidence of the phrase "United States of America" dates back to a letter from January 2, 1776, written by [[Stephen Moylan]], a [[Continental Army]] aide to General [[George Washington]], to [[Joseph Reed (politician)|Joseph Reed]], Washington's [[aide-de-camp]]. Moylan expressed his desire to go "with full and ample powers from the United States of America to Spain" to seek assistance in the [[American Revolutionary War|Revolutionary War]] effort.<ref>DeLear, Byron (July 4, 2013) [https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/2013/0704/Who-coined-United-States-of-America-Mystery-might-have-intriguing-answer Who coined 'United States of America'? Mystery might have intriguing answer.] ''The Christian Science Monitor'' (Boston, MA).</ref><ref>Fay, John (July 15, 2016) [https://www.irishcentral.com/roots/history/The-forgotten-Irishman-who-named-the-United-States-of-America.html The forgotten Irishman who named the 'United States of America'] "According to the NY Historical Society, Stephen Moylan was the man responsible for the earliest documented use of the phrase 'United States of America'. But who was Stephen Moylan?" ''IrishCentral.com''</ref> The first known publication of the phrase "United States of America" was in an anonymous essay in ''[[The Virginia Gazette]]'' newspaper in [[Williamsburg, Virginia|Williamsburg]], on April&nbsp;6, 1776.<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=The Virginia Gazette|title=''"To the inhabitants of Virginia", by A PLANTER''. Dixon and Hunter's. April 6, 1776, Williamsburg, Virginia. The letter is also included in Peter Force's ''American Archives''|url=https://research.history.org/DigitalLibrary/VirginiaGazette/VGIssueThumbs.cfm?IssueIDNo=76.DH.16|issue=1287|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141219053616/https://research.history.org/DigitalLibrary/VirginiaGazette/VGIssueThumbs.cfm?IssueIDNo=76.DH.16|archive-date=December 19, 2014|volume=5}}</ref>

By June 1776, the name "United States of America" appeared in drafts of the [[Articles of Confederation]] and [[Perpetual Union]], authored by [[John Dickinson]], a [[Founding Fathers of the United States|Founding Father]] from the [[Province of Pennsylvania]],{{sfn|Safire|2003|p=199}}{{sfn|Mostert|2005|p=18}} and in the [[United States Declaration of Independence|Declaration of Independence]], written primarily by [[Thomas Jefferson]] and adopted by the [[Second Continental Congress]] in [[Philadelphia]], on July 4, 1776.{{sfn|Safire|2003|p=199}}<ref name="Davis7">[[#Davis96|Davis, 1996]], p. 7.</ref>