The Origin of “Uncle Sam”
How the symbol of America came to be
Uncle Sam. The true symbol and embodiment of American patriotism, culture, and probably, the entirety of the United States itself. We have all seen his image and name: political cartoons, stamps, posters, magazines, newspapers, and propaganda.
But where did “Uncle Sam” come from? Did a cartoonist, like Thomas Nast, just make him up? Was he a real person? To answer that, the birth of Uncle Sam was sort of a mix of both the former and latter — he originated from a real-life story, but at the same time was fictionally portrayed. Regardless, the backstory of the American symbol was both an interesting and hidden one.
While it is disputed, most historians believe that the name “Uncle Sam” came from a man in Troy, New York during the War of 1812. That man was a meat packer named Sam Wilson (not Falcon). He was commonly nicknamed and known as “uncle Sam” by his friends and coworkers.
During the war, meat was scarce, and was badly in need by the American army. Wilson, along with his brother, were contracted by the United States to supply and ship barrels of pork and beef for a year. On those barrels, the initials “U.S.” were stamped on them to indicate that they were government property. However at the time, “U.S.” was not commonly used as an abbreviation for “United States.” So as a result, many of Wilson’s co-workers and those in Troy thought that “U.S.” stood for him — Uncle Sam.
Eventually, soldiers who were from Troy and knew Sam “Uncle Sam” Wilson also began arriving at the same conclusion. A local newspaper picked up on the story, and soon after it became a national story, with widespread acceptance of Uncle Sam as the nickname and personification of the United States.
The original, well-known depiction of Uncle Sam we know today is traditionally credited to Thomas Nast, a famous political cartoonist. He began including Uncle Sam and popularizing his image during the 1860s and 70s. Throughout his cartoons, he began evolving Uncle Sam. For example giving him that iconic stars-and-stripes suit along with the white beard.
However, the best, and arguably most famous, image of Uncle Sam came during 1917 — when the United States entered World War I. James Montgomery Flagg, an American artist, created a military recruitment poster with Uncle Sam at its center. The poster set Uncle Sam into the minds and hearts of millions of Americans: his striking pose, the direct address and finger point at the viewer, his bold stare, the unique outfit, and the iconic quote: “I want YOU for U.S. Army.” These features were all too well memorable; as if one could write a ten-minute song just describing his features. Since then, Uncle Sam has been the symbolic embodiment of the American people, government, and culture.
In 1961, congress officially recognized Samuel Wilson as “the progenitor of America’s national symbol of Uncle Sam.” Wilson himself died before that in 1954 at age 88. He was buried in the same town where everything started: Troy, New York.
But the town does not call itself Troy any longer. They are now known as: “The Home of Uncle Sam.”
