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Uncle Sam Celebriduck

All of us know UNCLE SAM. Generally dressed in red, white, and blue, he wears a top hat, and is portrayed as a tall, white-haired man with a goatee, who symbolizes the United States.

But where did Uncle Sam come from?

Historians aren't completely certain how the character "Uncle Sam" was created, or who (if anyone) he was named after. The prevailing theory is that Uncle Sam was named after an actual man, Samuel Wilson. Samuel Wilson was born in Arlington, Mass., on September 13, 1766. His childhood home was in Mason, New Hampshire. In 1789, he moved to Troy, New York.

The term "Uncle Sam" was originally used by the British as a derogatory term for American troops during the War of 1812. During that war, Samuel Wilson, now a meat packer affectionately known as "Uncle Sam", supplied the Army with beef in barrels. Before they were shipped to the soldiers, Uncle Sam stamped each barrel, "U.S.", to show that the meat belonged to the U.S. government. However, the grateful soldiers on the receiving end naturally associated their "U.S." supplied rations with "Uncle Sam".

"Uncle Sam" Wilson was a man of great fairness, reliability, and honesty, who was devoted to his country -- qualities now associated with Uncle Sam as we know him today. He died in 1854, and his grave and headstone can still be found in the Oakwood Cemetery, in Troy, New York.

Was "Uncle Sam" Wilson the actual source of the "Uncle Sam" symbol? We may never know for sure. But in any case, the legend was sufficiently moving to inspire the Congress of the United States to pass a resolution recognizing Samuel Wilson as the inspiration for the symbol, "Uncle Sam".

The single most famous portrait of Uncle Sam is the "I WANT YOU" Army recruiting poster from World War I. The poster was painted by James Montgomery Flagg in 1916-1917. Originally published as the cover for the July 6, 1916, issue of Leslie's Weekly with the title "What Are You Doing for Preparedness?" this portrait of "Uncle Sam" went on to become -- according to its creator, Flagg -- "the most famous poster in the world." Over four million copies were printed between 1917 and 1918, as the United States entered World War I and began sending troops and materials into war zones. Because of its overwhelming popularity, the image was later adapted for use in World War II.

Some of the materials used here were adapted from the following sources: http://home.nycap.rr.com/content/unclesam.html, www.loc.gov/exhibits/treasures/trm015.html, http://bensguide.gpo.gov/3-5/symbols/unclesam.html, www.state.nh.us/markers/mo35.html, www.Jonasent.net/UncleSam.htm, www.uncle-sams-home.com, www.printsoldandrare.com/thomasnast