During the War of 1812, Samuel Wilson of Troy, New York, supplied barrels of salted meat to the U.S. government for-its troops. To show that he had personally inspected the meat, Wilson stamped the letters “U.S.” on the meat, indicating that it was for the U.S. government.
But Wilson’s neighbors in Troy, who fondly called him “Uncle Sam,” took it to mean the initials of Uncle Sam Wilson.
As the years passed, cartoon characters named Uncle Sam appeared in newspapers to represent the United States government. Probably the most popular was the recruiting poster used by the army during World War I. It showed Uncle Sam, in stars and stripes, pointing a finger out and saying, “I want YOU for the U.S. Army.”
It wasn’t until 1961 that Congress passed a resolution acknowledging Wilson as the namesake of our national symbol.
Related Posts
-
Where does the saying “Sam Hill” come from and What does Sam Hill mean?
After long and diligent search for some American of sufficient prominence in a bygone generation to justify the continued use of his name, even to the present time, in such sayings as "to…
-
How did the Sam Browne belt get its name and Where does the term Sam Browne belt come from?
General Sir Samuel James Browne was a British army officer of the nineteenth century who was born, and later served, in India. It may be presumed that some time during his career he…
-
Who Was Uncle Sam and Where Did the National Personification of the United States Come From?
Sam Wilson was a meat packer who supplied preserved beef to the U.S. Army in the nineteenth century. The barrels of meat were stamped "U.S." to indicate they were property of the United…
-
Where Did the Term “Real Estate” Come From, What Does it Mean, and Why Is Land Called “Real Estate”?
Real estate is a piece of land that includes the air above it, the ground below it, and any buildings or structures on it. The term was first used in 1666 England. In…
-
Where does the phrase “the real McCoy” come from and What does the real McCoy mean?
The expression "the real McCoy" has been attributed to a prize fighter of the late nineties who traveled under the ring-name of "Kid McCoy." Another fighter of lesser skill, my story went, somewhat…
-
Was the Disney movie Mulan based on a real person or was Mulan a myth?
The story of Mulan is based on a poem written by a woman that dates as far back as at least 420 A.D., when the northern kingdoms of China were at constant war…
