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'''Columbia''' was a female figure who was common representation in art of the United States in the 19th century. The term derived of course from [[Christopher Columbus]]. It was introduced by black poet [[Phillis Wheatley]] (1753-1784) in her 1776 poem, "To His Excellency George Washington".<ref> Previous poems by others had used the term in the 1760s, but they were forgiotten.</ref> Washington was impressed and asked to meet Wheatley. the term caught public fancy and many places were named after her, such as the [[District of Columbia]], [[Columbia University]], and the Colombia River.<Ref>British Columbia, part of Canada, is named after the river.</ref>
'''Columbia''' was a female figure who was common representation in art of the United States in the 19th century. The term derived of course from [[Christopher Columbus]]. It was introduced by black poet [[Phillis Wheatley]] (1753-1784) in her 1776 poem, "To His Excellency George Washington".<ref> Previous poems by others had used the term in the 1760s, but they were forgiotten.</ref> Washington was impressed and asked to meet Wheatley. the term caught public fancy and many places were named after her, such as the [[District of Columbia]], [[Columbia University]], and the Colombia River.<Ref>British Columbia, part of Canada, is named after the river.</ref>
[[File:Columb1.jpg|thumb|430px|[[Thomas Nast]], the great cartoonist of the 1870s, often used Columbia to portray America. Here she is tied down by taxes and restrictions. ''Harper's Weekly'' Feb. 9, 1878]]
Wheatley's poem was based heavily on classical Roman sources, which she used in translation, and as befits a model of [[Republicanism]], Columbia is garbed in Roman dress.<ref>Thomas J. Steele, "The Figure of Columbia: Phillis Wheatley plus George Washington," ''New England Quarterly,'' Vol. 54, No. 2 (Jun., 1981), pp. 264-266 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/364975 in JSTOR]</ref>
Wheatley's poem was based heavily on classical Roman sources, which she used in translation, and as befits a model of [[Republicanism]], Columbia is garbed in Roman dress.<ref>Thomas J. Steele, "The Figure of Columbia: Phillis Wheatley plus George Washington," ''New England Quarterly,'' Vol. 54, No. 2 (Jun., 1981), pp. 264-266 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/364975 in JSTOR]</ref>