Law Practice,
Constitutional Law
Oct. 28, 2019
The United States of America: plural or singular?
The United States of America, it has been pointed out, was once a plural. Through grammar, you could discern that regionalism was more important than nationalism.
Frank H. Wu
President Designate
Queens College
Frank is William L. Prosser Distinguished professor at UC Hastings College of the Law.
The United States of America, it has been pointed out, was once a plural. Through grammar, you could discern that regionalism was more important than nationalism. People wrote and spoke of the "United States" with "are," as in "the United States of America are developing." After the Civil War, with the building of the transcontinental railroad 150 years ago, a new sense of shared identity became apparent through the singular. Contemporary readers and audiences would n...
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