.jpg "Stephen Moylan")
Many historical figures who were involved in the Revolutionary War are remembered for their service in raging battles and fighting for independence. However, this was not the case for Stephen Moylan, who was an Irishman and was the first person to write the words “United States of America.”
Moylan was born in Cork in 1737 to a Catholic businessman
and his mother, Ann Doran. His family was all devout Catholics. His two sisters
became Ursuline nuns, and his brother Francis was consecrated Bishop of Kerry. He
received his education in continental Europe since Catholics in Ireland were unable to be educated, and then he established himself as a shipping merchant.
From there, he sailed to Philadelphia in 1767. Philadelphia was more tolerant of Catholics than cities such as
Boston. Moylan worked in merchant shipping while in Philadelphia. Outside of
work, he was active socially. He belonged to the Gloucester Fox Hunting Club,
and in 1771, he was elected as the first president of the Friendly Sons of St.
Patrick. After his efforts in the Revolutionary War, he would be re-elected as
president of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick.
During the Revolutionary War, Moylan sided with the patriots
due to his growing frustration with Britain. became an aide to General George
Washington. On January 2, 1776, Moylan wrote the letter that first contained the
words, “United States of America.” This letter was sent to Colonel Joseph Reed,
who was Washington’s aide-de-camp, stating that he would like to act as an
emissary to Spain to gain their support. The sentence read “I should like to go
with full and ample powers from the United States of America to Spain…”
However, it was not known that he was the one to coin the
country’s name until the late 1900s. It is unclear if he was even aware of what
he was doing. Six months later, the words “United States of America” appeared
in the Declaration of Independence. Washington himself, along with others, may
have uttered these words in their conversations. Moylan was the first to write
down these words, so he gets the credit for coining the country’s name. The letter
is now in a collection called “The
Joseph Reed Papers.”