why are americans called "yankees"?

Answer 1

It's simply a mispronounciation of the British term, "Wankers."

Answer 2

Originally, I think, that term was used by the British troops to refer to the American colonials, as a term of contempt. They made up the song "Yankee Doodle Dandy" as a mockery of their unsophisticated opponents. The colonials liked it though, and started calling themselves that. Much later, during the American Civil War (the War of the Rebellion), the term was restricted to the Northern States, called the Union. (The Southerners, called the Confederacy or Confederate States, were called Rebels, or Rebs for short, and sometimes even Johnny Rebs.) The Northerners were Yankees, Yanks and Billy Yanks. But after the war, eventually all Americans began to be called Yankees or Yanks once again. Lots of those in Southern States still find the term distasteful and use it in a derogatory fashion for anyone from the North, even if they come south and settle there.

Answer 3

From Answers.com:

The origin of Yankee has been the subject of much debate, but the most likely source is the Dutch name Janke, meaning “little Jan” or “little John,” a nickname that dates back to the 1680s. Perhaps because it was used as the name of pirates, the name Yankee came to be used as a term of contempt. It was used this way in the 1750s by General James Wolfe, the British general who secured British domination of North America by defeating the French at Quebec. The name may have been applied to New Englanders as an extension of an original use referring to Dutch settlers living along the Hudson River. Whatever the reason, Yankee is first recorded in 1765 as a name for an inhabitant of New England. The first recorded use of the term by the British to refer to Americans in general appears in the 1780s, in a letter by Lord Horatio Nelson, no less. Around the same time it began to be abbreviated to Yank. During the American Revolution, American soldiers adopted this term of derision as a term of national pride.

Answer 4

The term Yankee has a variety of meanings. Generally, it refers to citizens of the United States, particularly northerners, especially those white Americans from the Northeastern United States whose ancestors arrived before 1776. Many Yankees migrated from New England and settled the northern parts of New York and the Midwest, as well as the Pacific Coast from San Francisco to Seattle.

You can read more about the origin of the word by visiting the below website.

Answer 5

...We just call Northerners Yankees. (We being people living in South Louisiana.) Assuming everyone knows why - Civil War. It's a name that has just stuck, I guess. Doesn't even cross our minds.

:)

I've never really known of Americans in general being called Yankees, though.

Hope that helps... maybe a little? Merry Friday.

Answer 6

I am a Southerner not a damn Yankee!

Answer 7

Because the other choice is not usable in polite company.

Answer 8

This is why you should pay attention in History class