Columbia is the female national personification of the United States. It was also a historical name applied to the Americas and to the New World. The association has given rise to the names of many American places, objects, institutions and companies, including the District of Columbia; Columbia, South Carolina; Columbia University; “Hail, Columbia” and Columbia Rediviva; the Columbia River. Images of the Statue of Liberty (Liberty Enlightening the World, erected in 1886) largely displaced personified Columbia as the female symbol of the United States by around 1920, although Lady Liberty was seen as an aspect of Columbia.
Appearance List Literature: The Gentleman’s Magazine vol. 8 (June 1738), “To His Excellency George Washington” by Phillis Wheatley (Poem, 1776), cover of Puck (April 6, 1901). Comics: Real Life Comics #2.
Sample Read “To His Excellency, George Washington” by Phillis Wheatley [Web]
Description Columbia is the female national personification of the United States. It was also a historical name applied to the Americas and to the New World. The association has given rise to the names of many American places, objects, institutions and companies, including the District of Columbia; Columbia, South Carolina; Columbia University; “Hail, Columbia” and Columbia Rediviva; the Columbia River. Images of the Statue of Liberty (Liberty Enlightening the World, erected in 1886) largely displaced personified Columbia as the female symbol of the United States by around 1920, although Lady Liberty was seen as an aspect of Columbia.
