Why do we, in the United States, call ourselves AMERICANS? Who started it? Was it Irving Berlin?

Essentially, this goes back to the original European explorers who came and surveyed this land. While Columbus was busy in the Carribean, exploring the "West Indies," an explorer named Amerigo Vespucci had sailed to the North American Continent. Upon his return to Europe, the land he'd discovered was named "America" in his honor. Much later, Europe began colonizing America. Britain had 13 colonies on what is now the US. Spain colonized Mexico, while France colonized Canada. Upon the declaration of our independence, our founding fathers began referring to the original 13 colonies as the United States (they wanted more of a confederation of states as opposed to our modern day republic). Since these "States" also happened to be situated upon America, they became known as the United States of America (often abbreviated to the USA). And that is why we are known to each other and the rest of the world as Americans.

Well most other countries have other names like if you were from Guatemala you would be a Guatemalan. You can't say that guy is a United Statesan. So everyone even other american countries call people from the United States Americans because it's easier than saying so-and-so is from the states. But I agree with you that more people need to know this. I wasn't aware of that until I took Spanish in Highschool.

Not Irving Berlin... it coes back to before 1776. There is a pretty detailed entry in wikipedia that will give you the history... it too much to some up in a few words. Dan

irving berlin? as lovely a man as he was, no - he can't make that his claim to fame & what made you think so, huh? 'cause he wrote 'god bless america'? well, part of the answer goes back to the mid 1500s/early 1600s, amerigo vespucci & his ilk. we owe the name, america, to him but that's another story. once the land mass was labled as such, coming to america kinda' stuck. from the 1700s, the brits have been calling us 'yanks' but only those from usa. by the way, you mentioned the constitution(of the usa)? isn't it united states of AMERICA (as you noted). so what would you have us called, united states(ians)? america is one-third of our name. you, too, i'm sure have three names, like a first, middle & last, true? you, too, have a choice. let's say your name is john james doe. wanna be called john? or james? or simply 'doe'? your choice. i have a question for you - where the heck have you been for the millenium? name of our country? friend! if you don't know it by now, all the ping pong balls on the table can't help you!

The name of America for all the continent comes from Amerigo Vespucci, United Estates came after, Canada and all the rest.