The Readers Digest observes that "New York has been known as 'the Empire State' for so long that the origins of the nickname aren't certain." But it cites the New York Historical Society, which explains that "signs commonly point to George Washington. Although other, unsubstantiated stories crediting Washington exist, the best documented source is a 1785 letter [that he wrote] to the New York Common Council, [thanking it] for bestowing upon him the Freedom of the City. In addition to praising New York's resilience in the [American War of Independence], he describes the State of New York as 'the Seat of the Empire.'"
© Haydn Thompson 2021