From “Citizens of America” to “The People of the United States”

Abstract From Commander-in-Chief to the Presidency, George Washington found himself in positions in which he had to define and address an audience. Navigating terms such as American, citizen, people and United States was central in the process of nation building and identity definition. The study of Washington’s writings shows an evolution from a language based on a rhetorical definition of “citizen” during the Revolution to the idea of “people” as a way to promote unity in the nation, whereas the name “America,” if constant in its usage, was colored with different meanings following the evolution of the political situation from liberty or independence to union. By questioning what America represented and who the Americans were, Washington also shared his views on the American Revolution and the role it should play in his presidential rhetoric.