Why Did The U.S. Keep The Names Of The 13 British Colonies?

a reply to: alldaylong

They probably did it as a way to preserve history. Also the inhabitants then we're mostly former British subjects anyway. In those other countries they reverted to ancestral names. Our ancestors were British to start with.

The names of the colonies predated the British? We were British colonies. eply to: AugustusMasonicus

They didn't change the names because they already had the license plates printed up and had already put in orders for key chains and coffee mugs.

That and everyone would have had to have gotten all new drivers licenses.

Really, people.

These aren't hard questions!

a reply to: DISRAELI

Yes.

No no. It goes: If Mississippi wore her New Jesrsey, what did Delaware? Idaho, Alaska. reply to: DISRAELI

a reply to: beezzer

You are going to clean that coffee off my screen mister!

a reply to: alldaylong

And Massachusetts. It was named for native American tribes yes but it was named by the first English settlers.

Umm when was Oregon a British colony again? I seem to have forgotten that?a reply to: alldaylong

Some of the names were taken from the natives but the natives didn't name the lands. The British did. And Delaware was named after the first govenor of Virginia Lord de la warr not any natives.
. a reply to: AugustusMasonicus

a reply to: alldaylong

Because the Unites States is a loose association of independent states, each of which retained their distinct identities and were not absorbed into a new national government.

a reply to: AutumnWitch657

The place names were Native American, such as:

The name Connecticut is derived from anglicized versions of the Algonquian word that has been translated as "long tidal river" and "upon the long river."Source

this thread is hilarious, a perfect example of when the victor gets to write history and well, gets to educate its population in its own history.
keep going, im enjoying the colloquial ryhmes for states.

Yes but it was still the British that gave those names to specific regions. The native Americans didn't name the land they lived on. So even though the names themselves are older the British still named the colonies.

And in the case of New York the British changed the name given the region by the Dutch which was New Amsterdam. There is still an Amsterdam Ave in NYC as a nod to the history of the region. Upstate NY and long island are littered with the tribal names from the region but the Patchogue, or Massapequa, or Quague didn't name those towns. They are named to honor the tribes.

a reply to: AugustusMasonicus

a reply to: AutumnWitch657

This is a circular argument.

The obvious, British-influenced names, Maryland, Virginia, etcetera, have etymological Anglican names. The repurposed, Native American names were already in use as evidenced by the quote I supplied you. The Natives referred to that area of the Americas as Connecticut so the colonists did the same.

a reply to: AugustusMasonicus

Round and round and round we go. The natives had no notion of land ownership and did not name regions. They did name the river Connecticut ( Quinnehtukqut) meaning beside the long tidal river. They didn't call that strip of land on the Long Island sound Connecticut.
The British named its colonies no matter the origin of the name. The question being posed is why did we keep them and I still stand by my answer that the people were still mostly of British heritage anyway .

a reply to: PLAYERONE01

Fortunately the history of the United States is not so long that the truth was lost in antiquity. There are houses in Europe that are older than this country.

originally posted by: PLAYERONE01

keep going, im enjoying the colloquial ryhmes for states.

Here is the original song, as sung by Perry Como;

Oh what did Del-a-ware boy, what did Delaware
What did Del-a-ware boy, what did Delaware
She wore a brand New Jersey,
She wore a brand New Jersey,
She wore a brand New Jersey,
That's what she did wear

One, two, three, four
Oh, why did Cali-fon-ia
Why did Cali-fon
Why did Cali-fon-ia
Was she all alone

She called to say Ha-wa-ya
She called to say Ha-wa-ya
She called to say Ha-wa-ya
That's why she did call

Uno, deis, tre, quattro
Oh what did Missi sip boy
What did Missi sip
What did missi sip boy
Through her pretty lips

She sipped a Minne sota
She sipped a Minne sota
She sipped a Minne sota
That's what she did sip

Where has Oregon boy
Where has Oregon
If you wan Al-ask-a
Al-ask-a where she's gone

She went to pay her Texas
She went to pay her Texas
She went to pay her Texas
That's where she has gone

Well how did Wis-con-sin boy
She stole a New-brass-key
Too bad that Arkan saw boy
And so did Tenne-see

It made poor Flori-di boy
It made poor Flori-di, you see
She died in Miss-our-I boy
She died in Miss-our-I
Oh what did Del-a-ware boy, what did Delaware

Songwriters: GORDON

Delaware lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

a reply to: PLAYERONE01

Well not like the UK hasn't completely destroy or manipulated the history of a defeated enemy. Just imagine what they would have said about the forefathers had they won the war, my bet is they call them short, evil dictators like they did to Napoleon and then revert to being one of the most oppressive empires ever

originally posted by: AutumnWitch657
The natives had no notion of land ownership and did not name regions.

A plethora of federal suits stands in contrast to this statement, including several in the Connecticut River valley.

originally posted by: AutumnWitch657
Umm when was Oregon a British colony again? I seem to have forgotten that?a reply to: alldaylong

Here is info on Oregon

The Oregon Treaty is a treaty between the United Kingdom and the United States that was signed on June 15, 1846, in Washington, D.C. The treaty brought an end to the Oregon boundary dispute by settling competing American and British claims to the Oregon Country, which had been jointly occupied by both Britain and the U.S. since the Treaty of 1818.

en.wikipedia.org...