Why is New England Called New England?

New England is known as such because it was named by Captain John Smith in 1616. During his exploration of the northeastern coast of North America, Captain Smith referred to this region as New England.

Regional Naming Conventions

This naming convention followed a similar pattern to other states and territories in the United States. For example:

New York was named after the city of York, New Jersey was named after the County of Jersey, New Hampshire was named after the shire of Hampshire.

It's important to note that just because a region seems logical to name a state, it doesn't mean that is what the people wanted to call it. Therefore, New York State is not called 'New North Yorkshire,' despite its name being from a similarly named English city.

The Charters and Early Settlements

The region of the New World, chartered to the Plymouth Company, was officially dubbed 'A Description of New England' in the early seventeenth century. This name was derived from Captain John Smith's account of his two voyages there. During this time, the term 'Britain' was not in common usage, and the nation of Great Britain was not formed until the union of England and Scotland in 1707.

In the South Pacific, there is an island called New Britain in the Bismarck Archipelago of Papua New Guinea, named after William Dampier, who referred to it as 'Nova Britannia.' There is also a city of New Britain in Connecticut, part of the United States.

The English Connection

If we are talking about New England in the USA, the name was given by Captain John Smith of Jamestown in the early 1600s. Based on the historical context, it is highly likely that he named it 'New England' because he was English and it reminded him of his homeland. The region was formally established much later, and it retained the name even after the union of England and Scotland in 1707.

The early colonists who founded settlements in the area were English. The name 'New England' refers to the upper-mid east coast where English settlers first made their settlements. They named their cities and other establishments after European cities, such as New York, New Bedford, and so on.

Conclusion

In summary, New England was named by Captain John Smith as it reminded him of his homeland, England. Despite the region's historical and geographical significance, it was the people's preference that ultimately determined the name. The name stuck, and it has remained a part of American geography and history ever since.