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How Convention of States can put the U back in the U.S.A.
| On September 9, 1776, the Second Continental Congress issued a series of war-time resolutions, one of which officially renamed the burgeoning new nation: “[I]n all Continental Commissions, and other Instruments, where, heretofore, the Words, ‘United Colonies,’ have been used, the [style] be altered for the future to the United States.” The title “United Colonies” first appeared in 1775 in communications between the Second Continental Congress and the Continental Army. The following year, the Declaration of Independence utilized both phrases: “The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,” “We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America … solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States.” An early draft of the Articles of Confederation, which first appeared on July 12, 1776, stated, “The name of this Confederacy shall be ‘The United States of America.’” However, that document wasn’t ratified until 1781. The official name change came in a series of resolutions ordering payments for the destitute army. Noah Webster’s 1806 “Compendious Dictionary of the English Language” defined “state” as “a kingdom or [republic], civil power, body of a nation”; whereas colonies belonged to someone else, states could be truly independent. Discarding the former name and replacing it with the United States signaled to Great Britain the growing confidence of the separate and free country. But that wasn’t all. Notably, King George did not receive a Declaration of Independence from the Free State of Virginia or the Massachusetts Bay Republic; he was at war with the United States. As we quoted in last week’s essay on the First Continental Congress, Patrick Henry famously believed, “The Distinctions between Virginians, Pennsylvanians, New Yorkers and New Englanders, are no more. I am not a Virginian, but an American.” For men who deeply distrusted centralized power (and, often, each other), this was a crucial step. Rather than splintering into 13 isolated stands against tyranny, they elected, as Benjamin Franklin reportedly urged, to “hang together.” During the Revolutionary War, they may not have always acted together as a cohesive whole. But their name bore witness to this fact: either they would all rise, or they would all fall. Either Virginians, Pennsylvanians, New Yorkers, and New Englanders alike would all know freedom, or they would all wear the chains of the price of their rebellion. On the 249th anniversary of that fateful name change, we appear to have forgotten their all-for-one-and-one-for-all mentality. “American unity” is more than just a clichéd, superficial relic of an idealized past; it’s literally intrinsic to our name. By succumbing to tribalism, polarization, and extremism, we have made a mockery of the name of the country the Founding Fathers fought to create. Convention of States intends to fix that. We have the opportunity — much like the heroes of the American Revolution — to set aside our differences and unite to save liberty for future generations. By bringing together millions of patriots from every walk of life, we have built a truly bipartisan coalition of concerned citizens who simply want to see power restored to the American People. This is our 1776 moment — our chance to reject the lies corrupt career politicians and the media have sown to divide us. If at this critical juncture, we merely “look out for number one,” the country will fail. If, however, we place the greater good of the nation at large above our petty (and sometimes meaningful) disagreements, we may yet stand a fighting chance. If there’s anything about which we must agree in this polarized age, it’s that the United States is worth saving. It’s time to put the “U” back in the U.S.A. and take pride in our name again. We can do that through an Article V convention. Sign the petition below to urge your state legislator to support our nationwide grassroots call for an Article V convention to shrink the size and scope of the federal government, place term limits on federal officials, and address the national debt. # | PETITION_WIDGET{petition_tag:comms_blog_NA_09/09/2025_ what’sinaname?09092025;coalition_id:;anedot_url:} | # |
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| Created: | 2025-09-09 23:40 GMT |
| Updated: | 2025-09-16 07:00 GMT |
| Published: | 2025-09-09 23:00 GMT |
| Converted: | 2025-11-11 12:06 GMT |
| Change Author: | Jakob Fay |
| Credit Author: | |