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Happy Birthday to us!
Happy Birthday to us!
Happy Birthday, America!
Happy Birthday, USA!
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Wrong date? Or wrong name?
I believe that America's birthday - as far as western european civilisation is concerned - is on 12 October. As on that date in 1492 America was "discovered" by the european civilisation under the leadership of Cristobal Colon.
On the date of 4 July 1776 a federation of english colonies anounced the birth of a nation called "United States of America" aka USA.
The USA was the first nation to declare its independence from the european colonial mother country. And after winning the Independence War, the USA became a role model for the other colonies in America to fight for more autonomy from their colonial mother country. And as far as I know, the next nation or country to gain independence was Paraguay in 1811 (one of only two mediterranean countries in America). Followed closely by most of the former spanish and portugues colonies in America.
So, congratulations are due to the United States of America on the 236th anniversary of its declaration of independence. And America will celebrate its 520th anniversary in October of this year.
I am sorry if I sound rather bitchy here. But it is a fact that many (if not most) residents of Latin America (from Mexico all the way down to Argentina) consider themselfs citizens of America, and find it rather offensive that the USA has "usurped" the name of the whole continent as its country name in everyday use. This is not helped by the imperialistic attitude of the last several governments of the USA with the military interventions all over the world.
[Getting off my soapbox and preparing for the flak to come.]
Jessica
There used to be some who
There used to be some who thought that the 2nd of July should have been the date to celebrate, that having been the date of Second Continental Congress voted to approve a resolution of independence that had already approved. In fact. America's second president, John Adams, is recirded to have written so in a letter to his wife.
Americans owe the French a lot for their help, both financial and military, in the fight for independence.
LOL...We of "THE United States of America" Jessica
...do not claim or have ever claimed the America's as our own. That is why we call ourselves "The United States" of America.
People love us or they hate us and they all have their own reasons for doing so. I am sorry you are so as you said "Bitchy" about the United States, but as a citizen of said country, most of us don't really care. Why? We have heard it, read it and seen it all before many times.
Most of those that "Bitch" have never been here, have never experienced more than what they have read or have been taught by usually very suspect sources in the first place. Giggle, giggle...
So, go ahead and Bitch Jessica, in this country you can say just about anything you want at anytime you want without worrying about getting put in prison or killed for it.
I love my country, and really, most of us could give a rats a-- about what people from other countries perceive us as.
Huggles Jessica
All we can do is try.
Angel
"Be Your-Self, So Easy to Say, So Hard to Live!"
I like the USA ...oooh ooooh
...I like the USA....
Love, Andrea Lena
To Our American Cousins...
Happy Independence Day. Happy Birthday too, if you wish. And what is more important, MANY MANY MORE OF THEM!!!
America
Sorry to burst your bubble, Jessica, but I must.
The United States of America was the First and Only country to adopt the name of Amerigo Vespucci as its own. The western hemisphere was divided into territories named New Spain, New Portugal, New France, New England, etc. The Second Constitional Congress named our country the United States of America, adopting that name as our own.
Since that time, the two continents of the western hemispere have come to be named North and South America. However, even that name is derived from us.
So, 'America' is the United States of America.
'Americans' are from the United States of America.
We are pleased that others from the western hemisphere have chosen to adopt the name to apply to their continent. But, that doesn't make them Americans, any more than my living in the America makes me a citizen of Brazil, Argentina or Mexico, for example.
Red MacDonald