How New York Became "The Empire State": Washington Irving, 1807

The nickname "The Empire State" was coined by Washington Irving in 1807. He used the phrase in an address to the New-York Historical Society and in his satirical A History of New York (published under the pseudonym Diedrich Knickerbocker).

Irving envisioned New York's destined commercial and demographic dominance—its "imperial" reach across the continent via the Erie Canal (completed 1825), its harbor, and its enterprising spirit. The term caught on, appearing on militia banners, currency, and eventually the 2001 state quarter. It reflects early 19th-century confidence in New York's manifest destiny within the Union.