"Rejoice Columbia's Sons Rejoice, To Tyrants never bend the knee.
But join with heart and soul and voice for JEFFERSON and Liberty."

So goes our own Jefferson's c.1800 campaign song, answered by John Adams "Ye sons of Columbia who bravely have fought."

About the same time we got "Hail Columbia, Happy Land", and later in the 19th century "Columbia the gem of the Ocean." 

The first reference I can find to "Columbia" in the context of America is in a 1777 poem by Timothy Dwight of New Haven.

But my question is, who/what/how did early America pick up Columbia, who may be the same as "Lady Liberty", and now that I think about it, I believe Columbia stands atop the US Capitol in Washington DC.

Randy Cabell

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