So, I’m sipping my coffee and reading about President Trump’s latest antics on CNN, and I come across this article about how he’s been renaming geographic locations to include “America” in their names. I mean, folks, this guy is something else. He’s already renamed the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America” and Lake Ontario to “Lake America,” and now he’s suggesting that the Atlantic or Pacific oceans should also be renamed to include “America.” I’m not sure what’s next, but I’m waiting for him to try to rename the rest of the continent after himself.
Apparently, this all started on Labor Day when Trump posted a series of maps on his Truth Social account with New Mexico relabeled as “New America.” Because, you know, that’s not confusing at all. I mean, who needs accurate geographic names when you can just rename things to suit your ego? And it’s not like this is the first time Trump has done something like this – last month, he ordered that Lake Ontario be renamed “Lake America” after Canada refused to back down in a trade war.
But what’s really interesting is the history behind the name “America.” It was first used in 1507 by a German cartographer named Martin Waldseemüller, who applied it to a rendering of present-day South America. And get this – the name was later dropped by Waldseemüller himself, only to be picked up again by other cartographers and eventually stick. Who knew that a name that was initially rejected would become synonymous with the United States?
It’s also worth noting that the name “America” wasn’t always exclusive to the United States. In fact, it was often used to refer to the entire hemisphere, including North and South America. It wasn’t until the US transitioned from a collection of colonies to a colonial empire that its leaders started using the term “America” to refer specifically to the United States. And even then, it was a gradual process – the name “Columbia” was often used as a poetic and literary term to refer to the US, while “America” was used more broadly to refer to the hemisphere.
Today, the term “America” is still understood differently in different parts of the world. In Spanish and Portuguese, the US is referred to as “Estados Unidos,” while “Americano” can refer to any inhabitant of North or South America. And in some Latin American countries, the term “America” is still used to refer to the entire hemisphere, rather than just the United States.
In recent years, there has been a growing movement to reclaim the term “America” for the hemisphere as a whole. The Cuban writer José Martí used the term in the title of his 1891 essay “Nuestra America,” or “Our America,” which urged Latin American republics to unite in the face of US expansion. And the Uruguayan journalist Eduardo Galeano critiqued the modern, US-centric understanding of the word in his 1971 book “Open Veins of Latin America.”
So, what’s next for Trump’s geographic renaming spree? Will he try to rename the entire continent after himself? Only time will tell, but one thing’s for sure – it’ll be entertaining to watch. And who knows, maybe one day we’ll all be living in the “United States of Trump” – wouldn’t that be something? In conclusion, Trump’s renaming of geographic locations is a funny and interesting topic, and it’s also a great opportunity to learn about the history and complexity of the term “America.” So, let’s all just sit back, relax, and enjoy the show – and maybe grab a map or two to keep track of all the changes.
Armchair patriot. Believes in the free market, cold beer, and that there’s always a guy named George behind every CNN segment.
Former remote-throwing champion turned #1 couch commentator on liberal panic in the media. Born in Texas (or so his mug says), he earned a degree in Fake Newsology & Beer Philosophy from YouTube University.
