One of the things that make the U.S. unique is the fact that it is made up of 50 individual States, all with their own laws, widely varying weather, scenery, and cultures.
As well as these subtle differences, each state has its own nickname that is typically derived from an event associated with its historical past, a notable landmark within the State, a cultural icon, or even climate-related. Let’s consider the Iowa nickname.
What is Iowa’s nickname? It is The Hawkeye State.
The Hawkeye state is situated in the Midwestern region of the United States. Iowa borders 6 other states, Illinois, Nebraska, Wisconsin, South Dakota, and sandwiched between Minnesota, Missouri. Iowa is one of many states that is completely landlocked with no exposure to the coast and sea.
The Hawkeye nickname was originally adopted in 1838 after paying tribute to Chief Black Hawk, a native American leader of the historically notorious, Sauk tribe.
If you are interested in seeing the US state nicknames for all 50 states, including the date each state was entered into the Union, then head over to our page that lists them in alphabetical order.
Iowa State Nickname
There are a few theories and potential reasons behind the acquisition of the Iowa state nickname, the first is that in 1838 the state decided to pay tribute to the Sauk Tribe, which was one of the most well-known and notorious native American tribes in American history. The Iowa state nickname is said to pay homage to the tribe leader, Chief Black Hawk after the Black Hawk war that occurred in 1832.
The Iowa state nickname is thought to be derived from a book written by James Fenimore Cooper, “The Last of the Mohicans” published in 1826. According to the state website, “Two Iowa promoters from Burlington are believed to have popularized the name.” The nickname was later approved officially by the Territorial Officials in 1838, this was twelve years after the book was initially published and eight years before Iowa became a state.
Iowa doesn’t just have a state nickname used to distinguish itself from other states, based on historical events or iconic landmarks, Iowa also has a state motto, “Our liberties we prize and our rights we will maintain”. This motto is a perfect representation of the attitude and mindset of the Iowan people past and present and can be found on the Iowa state seal.
If you would like to learn about the Iowa state abbreviation, check out our page dedicated to this.
