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Uncle Sam

Uncle Sam is a national personification National personification

A national personification is an anthropomorphization [i] of a nation [i]; it can appea ... 

 of the United States United States

The United States of America, also known as the United States, the U.S., the U.S.A., a... 

 dating from the War of 1812 War of 1812

The War of 1812 was fought between the United States of America [i] and Britain [i] ... 

. Common folklore holds that his origins trace back to soldiers stationed in upstate New York New York

New York is a state [i] in the northeastern [i] United States [i]. ... 

, who would receive barrels of meat stamped with the initials U.S. The soldiers jokingly referred to it as the initials of the meat supplier, Uncle Samuel Wilson Samuel Wilson

[i] ... 

, of Troy, New York Troy, New York

Troy is a city [i] in New York [i], USA [i] and is the county seat [i] of Rensselaer County [i] ... 

. The 87th United States Congress adopted the following resolution on September 15, 1961: "Resolved by the Senate and the House of Representatives that the Congress salutes Uncle Sam Wilson of Troy, New York, as the progenitor of America's National symbol of Uncle Sam." A monument marks his birthplace in Arlington, Massachusetts Arlington, Massachusetts

Arlington is a town in eastern Massachusetts [i], six miles northwest of Boston [i], latitude 42 degrees ... 

.

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Uncle Sam is a national personification National personification

A national personification is an anthropomorphization [i] of a nation [i]; it can appea ... 

 of the United States United States

The United States of America, also known as the United States, the U.S., the U.S.A., a... 

 dating from the War of 1812 War of 1812

The War of 1812 was fought between the United States of America [i] and Britain [i] ... 

. Common folklore holds that his origins trace back to soldiers stationed in upstate New York New York

New York is a state [i] in the northeastern [i] United States [i]. ... 

, who would receive barrels of meat stamped with the initials U.S. The soldiers jokingly referred to it as the initials of the meat supplier, Uncle Samuel Wilson Samuel Wilson

[i]
... 

, of Troy, New York Troy, New York

Troy is a city [i] in New York [i], USA [i] and is the county seat [i] of Rensselaer County [i] ... 

. The 87th United States Congress adopted the following resolution on September 15, 1961: "Resolved by the Senate and the House of Representatives that the Congress salutes Uncle Sam Wilson of Troy, New York, as the progenitor of America's National symbol of Uncle Sam." A monument marks his birthplace in Arlington, Massachusetts Arlington, Massachusetts

Arlington is a town in eastern Massachusetts [i], six miles northwest of Boston [i], latitude 42 degrees ... 

.

However, counter-arguments to this theory have been raised by some. One theory suggests that Uncle Sam was a creation by Irish immigrants to the US who used the Gaelic Irish language

Irish , a language [i] spoken in the Republic of Ireland [i] and ... 

 acronym, SAM, or Stáit Aontaithe Mheiriceá, which is the translation for United States of America, as a nickname for their new host country. Unfortunately, however, the precise origin of the term may never be proven.

Most earlier representative figures of the United States such as "Brother Jonathan Brother Jonathan

Brother Jonathan was a fictional character [i] created to personify the entire United States [i], in the ... 

" were overtaken by Uncle Sam somewhere around the time of the Civil War American Civil War

The American Civil War was a sectional conflict in the United States of America [i] between the federal ... 

. The female personification "Columbia Historical Columbia

Columbia is a poetic [i] and the first popular [i] name for the United States of America [i]... 

" has seldom been seen since the 1920s 1920s

The 1920s was a decade [i] sometimes referred to as the "Jazz Age [i]" or the "Roaring Twenties [i]," us ... 

. Thomas Nast Thomas Nast

Thomas Nast was a famous caricaturist [i] and editorial cartoonist [i] in the 19th century [i] and is c ... 

 played an important role in creating the popular image of Uncle Sam in his post-Civil War era editorial cartoon Editorial cartoon

An editorial cartoon, also known as a political cartoon, is an illustration or comic strip [i] con ... 

s. After the American Civil War American Civil War

The American Civil War was a sectional conflict in the United States of America [i] between the federal ... 

, whiskers were added to Uncle Sam in reference to Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln , sometimes called Abe Lincoln and nicknamed Honest Abe, the Rail Splitte... 

. Today, with the possible exception of the Statue of Liberty Statue of Liberty

Liberty Enlightening the World, known more commonly as the Statue of Liberty, is a statue give... 

, the character of Uncle Sam is probably the most easily recognizable personification of the U.S.

World War I poster

During World War I World War I

World War I, also known as the First World War, the Great War and "The War to End All War... 

, a very famous poster inspired by a British recruitment poster depicted Uncle Sam pointing at the people with the words I WANT YOU FOR U.S. ARMY. The artist James Montgomery Flagg James Montgomery Flagg

James Montgomery Flagg was an America [i]n artist [i] and illustrator [i]. ... 

, who painted the poster in 1917, used a modified version of his own face for Uncle Sam. Veteran Walter Botts posed for the drawing that became Uncle Sam. The poster was based on a 1914 recruitment poster from Britain featuring Lord Kitchener Herbert Kitchener, 1st Earl Kitchener

Horatio Herbert Kitchener, 1st Earl Kitchener, KG [i], KP [i], GCB [i]... 

, which was designed by Alfred Leete Alfred Leete

British [i] illustrator [i]. ... 

.

The poster Poster

A poster is any large piece of paper [i] which hangs from a wall or other such surface. ... 

 has been repeatedly imitated , with many different variations on the simple slogan.



Other media

In addition to the appearance of Uncle Sam in politics, the character has also appeared as a comic book hero for both Quality Quality Comics

There have been two comic book [i] publishing companies by the name Quality Comics. ... 

  and DC Comics DC Comics

DC Comics is one of the largest American [i] companies in comic book [i] and related media ... 

. He is presented as the living embodiment of the United States and is the leader of the Freedom Fighters. See Uncle Sam Uncle Sam

Uncle Sam is a national personification [i] of the United States [i] dating from the War of 1812 [i]. ... 

. There was also a short cartoon in the 1980s called "Uncle Sam's Adventures."

Furthermore, Uncle Sam appeared as a horror villain in the eponymously titled 1997 film, Uncle Sam. In this film, several pseudo-patriotic elements are used, including Sam attacking people with "friendly fire" and eventually dying from two cannon blasts.

In music, the long-lived folk-rock group Grateful Dead Grateful Dead

The Grateful Dead were an American [i] psychedelia [i]-influenced rock [i] band form ... 

 featured a skeletal Uncle Sam as one of the band's symbols. Uncle Sam, referred to in their song United States Blues, is one of the many elements that compose the band's "American mythology".

Also, the logo of the New York Yankees New York Yankees

The New York Yankees are a Major League Baseball [i] team, based in the borough of The Bronx [i], in New York City [i] ... 

  features Uncle Sam's hat covering the barrel of a red baseball bat.

See also


... 


  • Yankee Doodle
  • Brother Jonathan Brother Jonathan

    Brother Jonathan was a fictional character [i] created to personify the entire United States [i], in the ... 

  • Marianne Marianne

    Marianne, a national emblem [i] of France [i], is a personification [i] of Liberty [i] and Reason [i]. ... 

  • Germania Germania

    Dating back to the Roman [i] era, Germania was the Latin [i] name for a geographical area t ... 

  • Deutscher Michel
  • John Bull John Bull

    John Bull is a national personification [i] of the United Kingdom [i] created by Dr. ... 

  • Mother Svea Mother Svea

    Mother Svea, or Moder Svea, is a national emblem [i] of Sweden [i].... 



References


Popular works

  • Fenster, Bob , They Did What!?, Andrews McMeel Publishing.

External links

  • U.S. Library of Congress
  • Historical
  • The Straight Dope