American Reacts to Where Is America?

Let's check out Map Men's exploration of the question: Where is America, and why is it called America? In this video, we'll delve into the origins and fascinating history behind the name of the United States. Map Men's unique blend of humor and insights makes this exploration both educational and enjoyable. Let's uncover the story behind America's name!
Original Video: • Where is America?
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[@Lianne108]

“Our Graham” is a reference to the game show Blind Date (based on The Dating game) presented by Cilla Black and Graham Skidmore (although you only ever heard Graham’s voice). Cilla would always say something like, “Now, it’s over to our Graham with the scores” and the phrase “our Graham” caught on.

[@jontyson5407]

Wow, I never ever thought I'd see "Our Graham" explained, that's blown my mind.

[@alanwoodings7519]

The man that's shouting and ringing a bell was the town crier there was no news papers in hundreds of years ago so the town crier would stand in the streets and ring the bell then he would read the news out to the people 😊

[@watchreadplayretro]

Ohhhhhh I see it now, thanks! (And now I have the late Cilla's voice in me 'ead, chuck!)

[@JamesLMason]

That gave me a lorra lorra laughs.

[@jonntischnabel]

Over to our Graham for a quick recap! 😂

[@KingOfSciliy]

10:02 - last two alternate names: - Have A Nice Day - Land of the Rising Gun

[@TheEmpressEllaseen]

I’m gutted he missed the last one 😂

[@Shoomer1988]

It's "Edd the Duck" - BBCc hildrens TV presenter, comedian, actor, pop singer, video game star, patron of the Children In Need charity and the UK Olympic team mascot at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. A legend in his own lifetime.

[@neuralwarp]

2:12 the man with the bell is a Town Crier in traditional costume. It's how people got news before printing was invented. Many British towns have one.

[@hardywatkins7737]

Yeah we have one and as you say, alot of towns do have them still.

[@paulqueripel3493]

I also suspect Jay was indoors and superimposed on the background. Someone would have looked.

[@j0hnf_uk]

I suspect it was after printing was invented, but before newspapers were a thing.

[@Brian3989]

Town Criers existed after printing was invented. However, many people were unable to read, unless you had money and paid for schooling. Universal education didn't start till around 1880.

[@BenDavisSkydiving]

​@@paulqueripel3493maybe but I don’t think so. Just British people ignoring him, not unusual.

[@susanpearson-creativefibro]

A couple of other names for consideration: “Guns’r’us” “United Litigation” or you could always give the country a boy band sounding name like “Only profits allowed”. I very much enjoy the fact that you have a sense of humour that includes teasing your country.

[@afischer8327]

Inspired! How about Consumerstan, or The United States of Don't Mess With Us?

[@kate2.0.]

Our Graham is from an old British tv show called Blind Date. The host Cilla Black (same one) would refer to the voice over guy as Our Graham. A quite uniquely British joke

[@barneylaurance1865]

"Destiny Manifested" is a reference to the racist theory of of "Manifest Destiny" that was a big part of the ideology of American colonization - the belief that the settlers were superior to the native Americans and god wanted them to control the continent.

[@navigatingsideways]

Boom Box was my prize possession during the 1990's. I was one of two people in Middle School that had a dual deck boom box. Which was perfect for copying other tapes...

[@jackie6343]

Love your reactions to these hilarious map men 😂😂❤

[@docksider]

On the other hand ..... Richard ap Meryk, anglicised to Richard Amerike (or Ameryk) (c. 1440-1503) was a British merchant, royal customs officer and later, sheriff of Bristol. Several claims have been made for Amerike by popular writers of the late twentieth century. One was that he was the major funder of the voyage of exploration launched from Bristol by the Venetian John Cabot in 1497, and that Amerike was the owner of Cabot's ship, the Matthew.[1] The other claim revived a theory first proposed in 1908 by a Bristolian scholar and amateur historian, Alfred Hudd. Hudd's theory, greatly elaborated by later writers, suggested that the continental name America was derived from Amerike's surname in gratitude for his sponsorship of Cabot's successful discovery expedition to 'the new World'. However, neither claim is backed up by hard evidence, and the consensus view is that America is named after Amerigo Vespucci, the Italian explorer. Richard ap Meryk was of Welsh origin, hence the ap Meryk (son of Meryk).

[@supalew]

This is much more reasonable. Are there any other newly discovered lands that were named after the discoverer's forename?

[@pauladix5666]

Very interesting video 📹 ❤

[@JJLAReacts]

Thanks!!

[@stephensmith5912]

The Town Crier background is Hatton Walk in Enfield Town, North London. In case anyone needs to know this vital piece of information. A trendy little cut-through in an otherwise not-so-trendy town centre. M&S in the background, you can just see the side roof of Pearsons department store, and Clarke's shoes just around the corner. Plenty of places to spend more than you should on stuff. This has been a public information notice.

[@AnyoneForToast]

And when used as a backdrop, could also be known as "Green-screen Land"... And thanks for the info, I like it when people take the time to do things like that. 😁

[@defeatstatistics7413]

Enfield is a dark and sinful place

[@bobclarke1815]

"I am the God of Hellfire" a one hit wonder for the Crazy World of Arthur Brown.

[@vaudevillian7]

The Waldseemuller map was part of my first module in my History degree (which of course in the UK is nothing but history, no maths or languages and whatnot). Can’t remember anything else about the module though

[@barriehull7076]

Football career Bradley Walsh started his youth football career at Wormley Rovers. In late 1979, at the age of 18, Walsh became a professional football player for Brentford, London, although he failed to make the first team and was regularly a member of the reserves.[6] While Walsh was at Brentford he also played for Barnet on loan, making five Southern Football League appearances in the 1979-80 season. He also played for Tring Town, Boreham Wood and Chalfont St Peter.[7] Ankle fractures ended his football career at the age of 22, in 1982.[8] He participates in Soccer Aid, a charity football match where England takes on The Rest of the World with teams made up of celebrities and football legends.[9] He helped England win the 2006 events as a player and the 2012 and 2016 events as a coach. Walsh made an episode for Soccer Aid in June 2022. Wikipedia.

[@watchreadplayretro]

The United Tribes Of Ameirca (with tax paper headings reading 'Tribe Called Quest') Very interesting, cheers!

[@marktubeie07]

07:12 😂😂😂 that was good!

[@JJLAReacts]

😂

[@supreme_xenon]

02:13 I believe that's actually green screen

[@martinrichardson2942]

I love your videos. What a soothing voice you have. You should do audio books. Did you also know you have bit of a doppleganger? Goolge Jos Butler England cricket 🏏 he has a nice voice too

[@JJLAReacts]

Thank you! I looked up Jos Buttler and yeah, I can see it 😂 cheers 🍻

[@martinrichardson2942]

@@JJLAReacts I forgot to say you're both handsome too. Win win for you. Haha

[@robertelliott2026]

​@@JJLAReacts To your comment about Bradley Walsh, he is an actor/comedian/TV presenter and professional laugh corpser. Google Fanny Chmelar/The Chase

[@tanvee1637]

2:05 That person was not vespucci, it was ferdinand magellan, a Portuguese exploror who travelled the entire world by sea

[@Stoggler]

For an alternative name of the USA, Frank Lloyd Wright suggested Usonia. It was in vogue for a short period, and was picked up by Zamenhof, who used it for the Esperanto word for the country. To this day, Esperanto speakers use the work Usono when referring to the US.

[@theinvisibleneonrainbowzeb2567]

Are there actually people who still learn and use Esperanto?! Also, why the jump from Usonia to Usono? Would Usonia be pronounced like "You - Sonya" or "OO - Sonya" (like the name Sonia/Sonya etc), or like "OO - Sew - near", "You - SO - nyah"...? something else entirely?! And with Usono - what pronunciation for that one? thanks! ☮

[@Stoggler]

@@theinvisibleneonrainbowzeb2567 yes people do still speak and learn Esperanto. The internet has made contact between Esperanto speakers much easier. There are some native speakers of the language as well, the result of two Esperanto speakers who had children together and brought them up multilingually

[@qwertyTRiG]

@@theinvisibleneonrainbowzeb2567 All Esperanto nouns end in -o, so Usonia would have to be tweaked to fit into the Esperanto grammatical system.

[@jasoncallow860]

Why did I misread that "Disney Manifested" OMG Freudian somethings all over the shop

[@lomax343]

That would actually be rather a good name.

[@Herr_U]

That map you said "thumbs down" on, it is a lot better than you probably think, it just is in another projection. Since I can't be bothered to find out which projection just look up a map centered on canada (or new foundland really) and regardless of (common) projection it should be fairly close. Ther Mercator projection becomes weirder the further away you are from wherever you centered it (and most commonly this is at the equator)

[@georgehelyar]

Yea the mercator projection maps that were used to are all pretty terrible at the poles, we're just used to them. You need a globe really

[@markchip1]

How about the name, "Amerigoland" - which, in the English-speaking world, would be rapidly nicknamed, "Merrygoland"!

[@jimjogger306]

Check out bradley walsh best moments from the chase, or bloopers from the chase, Hundreds of compilations around.

[@melanierhianna]

There's also a theory that the Welsh also landed in the Americas before Columbus. And it was well known around the Bristol area that there was good fishing in the Grand Banks area well before Columbus.

[@lomax343]

The first Europeans who fished the Grand Banks were actually the Basques. More than a thousand years ago the Basques were marketing salted cod - and never telling anyone where they got them from.

[@Souledex]

Turtle Island is a widespread name among Native American tribes for North America or kinda the world among the Northeast Woodlands

[@michaelhowell1706]

Here!

[@smockboy]

Pretty sure that 'Turtle Island' is the name given to America (and also, the world as a whole) by a number of indigenous peoples of North America.

[@evamamani9026]

In china is 5 continents : asia america africa europe oceania(australia) or 6 with artartida also coutries as : spain italy france greece rumania turkey vietnam indonesia south korea rumania portugal and others coutries

[@bulwinkle]

I have another suggestion, Trumpton.

[@vaudevillian7]

There’s a good QI clip about the name of America

[@jeffslade1892]

Woking is defined as "standing in the kitchen wondering what you came in here for"

[@jasoncallow860]

That explains why everyone in Woking has a kitchen in their home

[@user-po9zz4vq6c]

Please watch the squarest country video, Jay Foreman

[@hardywatkins7737]

As an English person, i do refer to the United states of America as, the USA.

[@colingregory7464]

I could be wrong but I think the DUCK is probably "Howard The Duck"

[@vallejomach6721]

Edd

[@lomax343]

Nope. Edd the Duck. In the nineties, Edd was the BBC's most famous employee.

[@dakrontu]

Ah, the United States of Vespuccia. Has a nice ring to it.

[@notjackolio]

There was an attempt to name USA to Freedonia, but it never catched on with the people

[@titanium_di2402]

Chris Colombus never set foot on what is now the USA 😂. He hit South America and the Carribean Island, but didnt come further North. So I always thought it was strange that the US has a Columbus Day....

[@BramVanhooydonck]

I actually like the renaming it after the two oceans that it touches makes a lot of sense, and makes a good foundation for a name. (Even justifying that whole manifest destiny a little bit) Or using a native word for 'land'. .... or call it Burgerland.

[@TheEyez187]

So, not only did Amerigo Vespucci get a country named after him after his first name, but he also got a beach named after him after his last name! Does he have a middle name, and if so, what place is named after it!?!? >XD

[@BlackxGarden]

My brother married a Brazilian lady, and this was the first I learned of the "America" controversy. I think I said something horribly offensive (in her view!) by referring to her country as being "in south America". She was very nice about it but it was also VERY clear to me that that was not the correct way to refer to that continent. And between her broken English and my poor Portuguese, I actually don't know how to refer to it at all now. So I'm just going to go ahead and try and be MORE specific!

[@CaptainAmerica001]

America is a continent & an American is from the Continent of America.

[@davidioanhedges]

The United States in the Continent of America could refer to both the USA and Mexico (The United Mexican States) The name of the USA is bit like Germany naming itself the United States of Eurasia....

[@jerry2357]

You could always go back to the first Europeans who visited North America, the Vikings, and call yourself Vinland.

[@davepoole9520]

Who else leaves a 'like' within the first two seconds or so to save time or 'just in case we forget to by the end'? Obviously we can remove the 'like' if we end up not enjoying the video but in the case of Jago, such a U-turn would be as likely as the Tower Subway reopening.

[@skambim]

as a scandinavian, it's Vineland to me.....

[@jackie6343]

The gunners

[@emiliajojo5703]

It's disputed that Columbus underestimated earths size. He might have heard of the report of an irish monk about the viking discoveries,can't remember his name.he wouldn't get money for this ,though.after all the size of earth was known since Erathostenes.

[@mericet39]

When I visited Canada (I'm from UK) I was told that referring to 'Americans' and 'Canadians' as different annoyed the Canadians, who say 'We are ALL Americans!'. Maybe people from the USA need a better name than 'Americans', but 'United Statsians' sounds silly.

[@Ellanvannin03]

Usonian is actually an alternate term

[@robertpetre9378]

Mohican land has a ring to it 😅

[@SteffBrockley]

Has anyone ever told you your voice has a hypnotic quality?

[@TheEmpressEllaseen]

I wish he did ASMR videos 😄

[@140cabins]

@@TheEmpressEllaseen I thought these *were* ASMR videos...

[@jasoncallow860]

Did he hypnotise you to say that?

[@paulbromley6687]

Just “ United States” works well, like “ United Kingdom”

[@Thoughtsmith]

"I don't think we use the name America" says person from the United States of America.

[@barriehull7076]

Miki Suki lives in Japan.

[@neuralwarp]

I favour " Antamazon ".

[@rainyfeathers9148]

Miccosukee mud pie

[@HenrikJansson78]

Well, you could call it LeifEriksonia. Same principle, just the correct "discoverer". :)

[@colingill47]

I have always wondered if I’m reality America was derived from merica which is what Britain was names before the true formation of England and the UK

[@vikingraider1961]

In some languages, apparently, "Americans" (ie citizens of the USA) are known as "United Statesians"...

[@Brian3989]

It seems the problem for residents of the United States of America do not know where USA is, certainly some have no idea there is anything beyond their country!

[@lesleycarney8868]

This was funny lolllllllll

[@richardlandrum1966]

Chad means lake

[@chloecousins5768]

Shout out from Woking! 😂

[@sarahealey1780]

I love the Map Men videos, it is weird that the 2 continents are the Americas but the people of the US are the only ones that consider themselves Americans, everyone else are Candadian, Mexican, Brazilian ect....

[@MsPataca]

It probably has to do with the fact that US Americans monopolised the term American…

[@EvieOConnorxoxo]

Because what else would you call them

[@sarahealey1780]

@EvieOConnorxoxo that's the point, they have taken ownership of an entire continent and do not accept other from that continent being called Americans

[@greamepenney5947]

Gunland. Its short easy to remember and represents the thought of the people.

[@speleokeir]

Both Columbus AND Vespucci only went to the Caribbean so it shouldn't be named after them. So what about Leifland or Eriksland after Lief Erikson? Again he's only believed to have reached Newfoundland, rather than mainland America. His father Erik the Red discovered Greenland. Perhaps that should be changed to Redland?😀 Mainland North America was officially discovered in 1497 by John Cabot an Italian employed by Henry VIII of Great Britain, technically making it a British discovery😁 So perhaps America should change it's name to Cabotania or Cabotland or maybe Henrysland after his sponsor? However there is a prior claim. In 1170 Welsh Prince, Madog ab Owain Gynwedd, sailed to America. Twice. At least according to folklore. I think Mad dog land has a certain ring to it!🤔🤣🤣🤣

[@Stoggler]

Vespucci sailed along significant parts of the the South American coastline, he went to far more than just the Caribbean.

[@iamamyb]

"At least they had Florida" Said nobody ever 😂

[@enemde3025]

The VIKINGS got there first !! GRAHAM is pronounced GRAY UM not GRAM !

[@jackie6343]

We definitely say America in the UK 😊

[@logicfxtrading2280]

Just call it Disneyland

[@johnpublicprofile6261]

"A DISUNITED STATES OF THE AMERICAS" "A" instead of "The" is more appropriate as there are two "United States" just in North America (Mexico being the other). Plus obviously not all states in America are united so "Disunited" is fundamentally more accurate. And as in modern times the north and south are treated as separate continents then either "The Amircas" or "North America" is appropriate.

[@xneurianx]

Bradley Walsh... If he's English he must be a good actor... You might think. You would not be correct.

[@thedisabledwelshman9266]

columbus DID NOT DISCOVER AMERICA.

[@anin871]

Ypu forget one last name "land of the Rising Gun"

[@ianbarkham5080]

Hail , Hail Freedonia! Land of the Brave and Free!

[@blitzofchaosgaming6737]

You say its not like its official then you title the video "American Reacts". I'm assuming you mean from the whole continental landmass, not the nation?

[@HogwartsGoth]

Just call it 'United States', that is it's name anyway. United States (Country) of America (Continent).

[@MrRadishification]

But Mexico also call themselves United States but in Spanish.

[@ebbhead20]

Yeah that whole Christopher Columbus thing is seen as pure bollocks by most historians of today. There's so many videos on youtube on why that doest work. But lets just say that Scandinavian settlements being found that dates back to 500 years before Chris was even born makes it hard to go with that statement. It needs ro be thrown out the window.. The geezer didn't even leave the ship for christ sake.. 😅

[@NicholasShanks]

The duck: en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edd_the_Duck

[@cenedra2143]

If your tax forms have FBI on them I'd worry 😂

[@markchip1]

Woking would be fairly accurate, assuming it would mean "WithOut-(a)-king"!

[@francislaverty9262]

Likely called it the West Indies because he had sailed West

[@paulbromley6687]

“New India”

[@damianwelsh7388]

Seems a bit dodgy - places tended to be named based on people's last names or the last name of the numpty who funded the voyage, not the common first name (my upcoming gay bar PeterLand, notwithstanding).

[@christopherflux6254]

I genuinely wonder if more Brits can find America on a map than Americans can find America on a map.

[@Jamie_D]

Hey first (i think) :)

[@JJLAReacts]

🥇

[@jlpetley]

Sarcasm seems to be lost on Americans….

[@Tiekorolivier]

"Is Chad a country?" Well, maybe you should pay more attention to a map of Africa, especialy when you have a huge military drone base in the neighbouring Niger from where you may be the next to be kicked out after the French 😏

[@normanfairbrass7275]

Woking! , brilliant land of the woke, I'm from Woking Surrey UK

[@butchershoppequartet8690]

Guns 'n Poses; The Borderless Paradise; Fentanyl Farm.

[@muigichannel7825]

outed himself as an FIB shill

[@andyjenkinson5070]

Notindia

[@Rocky19577]

The reason he called them them west indies is explained at the start. Rewind a bit.🙄

[@Barlofontain]

I mean, your whole channel is "American" reacts to videos, so...

[@kenibarwick]

Welcome to the English psychie

[@giovannacasadio9600]

USA is ok for your country but the fact that you call yourselves American is the problem, as all the people from the North and South content of America are Americans. That is the problem. Great video, thanks. 😊 by the way the italians call you " Statinutenci " which I think has a logic.

[@markchip1]

IF the USA had indeed kept the name "British America", we Brits would have eventually required the local government to have removed the "British" prefix, owing to the cringeworthy behaviour of these "Americans"!!

[@krugerfuchs]

Poxy ads

[@user-gf1jt2hp4m]

Columbus got it wrong because he was a nob 😂

[@madzangels]

Imagine if it was called the united states of columbus....That'd be both hilarious and the height of lame