# Is Columbia a manifestation of Liberty? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 13, 2024, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-columbia-a-manifestation-of-liberty/1010209 "2024-11-13T19:01:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2024, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-columbia-a-manifestation-of-liberty/1010209/1 "2024-11-13T19:01:32Z")
[Columbia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbia_(personification)) is the personification of the United States of America like [Britannia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Britannia) is for Great Britain. But is Columbia also a manifestation of the [Liberty](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberty_(personification)) persona? The reason I am asking is we are familiar with the “Walking Liberty” half-dollar and bullion silver dollar. [![](https://ozbullion.com/cdn/shop/files/12-oz-walking-liberty-silver-round-oz-mint-ozb-silver-round-323722.jpg?v=1717966549) ](https://ozbullion.com/cdn/shop/files/12-oz-walking-liberty-silver-round-oz-mint-ozb-silver-round-323722.jpg?v=1717966549) But looking at her one day, I noticed she looks more like Columbia. And see how she is walking to the left i.e. westard? A common motif for her. And there is “Liberty” on the coin so maybe that’s where ‘Liberty’ came from in the name of the coin. But if Columbia is a form of Liberty it makes sense or if not, then we are just used to having women on our coins being Liberty we assume she is. Or maybe she’s not Columbia at all but is Liberty. IDK … what say you all? ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2024, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-columbia-a-manifestation-of-liberty/1010209/2 "2024-11-13T19:21:47Z")
The Wikipedia says, at the bottom of the article on Libertas, that Columbia is “seen as an embodiment of Libertas.” [Libertas - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libertas#:~:text=The%20symbolic%20characters%20Columbia%20who%20represents%20the%20United%20States%20and%20Marianne%2C%20who%20represents%20France%2C%20the%20Statue%20of%20Liberty%20(Liberty%20Enlightening%20the%20World)%20in%20New%20York%20Harbor%2C%20and%20many%20other%20characters%20and%20concepts%20of%20the%20modern%20age%20were%20created%2C%20and%20are%20seen%2C%20as%20embodiments%20of%20Libertas). No cite given. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2024, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-columbia-a-manifestation-of-liberty/1010209/3 "2024-11-13T19:26:13Z")
A longer article: [https://www.nyhistory.org/blogs/american-woman-amerique-columbia-and-lady-liberty](https://www.nyhistory.org/blogs/american-woman-amerique-columbia-and-lady-liberty) ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2024, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-columbia-a-manifestation-of-liberty/1010209/4 "2024-11-13T19:29:59Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > No cite given. Which is why I did not accept it as documented truth. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2024, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-columbia-a-manifestation-of-liberty/1010209/5 "2024-11-13T22:24:17Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > But is Columbia also a manifestation of the [Liberty](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberty_(personification)) persona? The reason I am asking is we are familiar with the “Walking Liberty” half-dollar and bullion silver dollar. She _does_ look like she’s walking down the street just a-having a think. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2024, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-columbia-a-manifestation-of-liberty/1010209/6 "2024-11-13T22:31:44Z")
Give her an evil wink. ---
**Author:** ![Schnitte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/schnitte/32/9033_2.png) [@Schnitte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Schnitte)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2024, 10:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-columbia-a-manifestation-of-liberty/1010209/7 "2024-11-14T10:45:53Z")
I’d say the two morphed into one. As you say, female allegories for countries are common (because country names are usually grammatically feminine in many languages), and for America that’s Columbia. There is also a female allegory for freedom (female because, the word for freedom is feminine in Latin and the languages derived from it, and because of the importance of the concept of liberty in the cultural self-understanding of the United States, it shouldn’t be surprising that in many instances it’s hard to tell whether a particular image is meant to depict Columbia or Liberty. So two initially distinct allegories merged into one. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2024, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-columbia-a-manifestation-of-liberty/1010209/8 "2024-11-14T15:01:55Z")
^^That sounds pretty plausible. I found press accounts in which coins were referred to as having “Liberty” on the obverse going back to the early 1800s. It wasn’t until Abe Lincoln showed up on the cent in 1909 when actual historical people started appearing on coinage. (Although there was the Washington ‘Ugly Head’ token in 1784.) And side note: I’d say most, if not all, places in the US with the name of Columbia were named directly for " Lady Columbia," not Chris. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2024, 11:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-columbia-a-manifestation-of-liberty/1010209/9 "2024-12-09T11:17:12Z")
I always wondered why our capitol, DC was named after a country in South America. I had no idea it was some reference to liberty. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2024, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-columbia-a-manifestation-of-liberty/1010209/10 "2024-12-09T13:53:54Z")
It’s a reference to Columbus. ---
**Author:** ![Schnitte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/schnitte/32/9033_2.png) [@Schnitte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Schnitte)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2024, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-columbia-a-manifestation-of-liberty/1010209/11 "2024-12-09T14:10:15Z")
After whom the country of Colombia was, of course, also named, but independently of the District of Columbia. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2024, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-columbia-a-manifestation-of-liberty/1010209/12 "2024-12-09T14:12:47Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > It’s a reference to Columbus. That’s what I thought. But also a reference to ‘Liberty’? ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2024, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-columbia-a-manifestation-of-liberty/1010209/13 "2024-12-09T14:14:53Z")
No - Columbia and Liberty are also feminine symbols of the US who have sort of merged over time. Neither has any official standing except on coinage and stamps. ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2024, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-columbia-a-manifestation-of-liberty/1010209/14 "2024-12-09T14:16:31Z")
The country is ColOmbia, the district is ColUmbia. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2024, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-columbia-a-manifestation-of-liberty/1010209/15 "2024-12-09T14:21:53Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > It’s a reference to Columbus. And “Columbus” comes from the Latin “columba”, or dove, and the dove is both a symbol of peace and harmony, and a symbol of the Holy Spirit in Christianity. Coincidence? Probably! ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2024, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-columbia-a-manifestation-of-liberty/1010209/16 "2024-12-09T14:26:42Z")
Thanks folks. Ignorance fought. ---
**Author:** ![Schnitte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/schnitte/32/9033_2.png) [@Schnitte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Schnitte)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2024, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-columbia-a-manifestation-of-liberty/1010209/17 "2024-12-09T14:29:22Z")
> [@Frodo](#): > > The country is ColOmbia, the district is ColUmbia. And while we’re at it about this sort of thing: DC is the nation’s capital, not capitol. The former is a city, the latter is a building (although a capitol will usually be in the capital). ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2024, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-columbia-a-manifestation-of-liberty/1010209/18 "2024-12-09T14:30:31Z")
This! ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2024, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-columbia-a-manifestation-of-liberty/1010209/19 "2024-12-09T14:44:25Z")
> [@Schnitte](#): > > DC is the nation’s capital Also, since we’re being pedantically correct, The District of Columbia isn’t the national capital. It’s the capital district, but the capital proper is the city of Washington. ---
**Author:** ![Schnitte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/schnitte/32/9033_2.png) [@Schnitte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Schnitte)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2024, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-columbia-a-manifestation-of-liberty/1010209/20 "2024-12-09T15:27:49Z")
Except that there is no distinction between the District of Columbia and the City of Washington, neither geographically nor legally. The two are coextensive, and there are no institutions associated with one but not the other. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-columbia-a-manifestation-of-liberty/1010209.md?page=2)