In 1776, 'United States of America' was formally adopted by Congress, centuries later U.S. President Donald Trump reiterates renaming Strait of Hormuz, Lake Ontario, New Mexico

In the summer of 1776, the American Revolution was transforming a collection of British colonies into a nation with an uncertain future. One of the most revealing moments in that transformation came when the Second Continental Congress formally adopted the name "United States of America", replacing the earlier designation "United Colonies of North-America".