UNCLE SAM

 

Uncle Sam is a figure that symbolizes the United States.  The term originated as an unfriendly nickname for the U.S. government during the War of 1812.

The term "Uncle Sam" was apparently derived from the large initials "U.S." that Samuel Wilson, an Army meat inspector and provisioner, stamped on barrels of salted meat.  People in upper New York and Vermont who opposed the war used the nickname.  It first appeared in a Troy, N.Y., newspaper in 1813 and spread rapidly.  In 1816, the nickname appeared in a book title, The Adventures of Uncle Sam.

The costume of Uncle Sam, decorated with stars and stripes, originated in the cartoons of the 1830's. Seba Smith, a humorous political essayist, was cartooned as Uncle Sam, with such a costume.  A clown of the 1800's, Dan Rice, made the costume popular.  In 1961, Congress passed a resolution recognizing Uncle Sam as a national symbol.          

(WBE - vol. 20)