Sam Wilson was a meat packer who supplied the American troops fighting in the War of 1812 with meat. He sent the meat in barrels labeled with “U.S.” in bold black letters on the sides of his meat crates. The U.S. was there to show the supplies were the property of the United States. However, one time during delivery the question of what the U.S. meant came up, and one of Sam Wilson’s workers said to a soldier that it stood for “Uncle Sam.” Soldiers started referring to Uncle Sam as a synonym for the United States of America.
The origins of the Uncle Sam cartoon are sometimes up for debate but Sam Wilson, the meat packer from Troy, is usually the most accepted narrative. Soon, after Uncle Sam became popular with the soldiers, dozens of illustrations grew from Uncle Sam. These illustrations would have Uncle Sam pointing at the viewers telling them that he wants them to enlist in the U.S. Army.
Thomas Nast was responsible for most early illustrations of Uncle Sam, but James Montgomery Flagg was responsible for one of the most recognizable posters of Uncle Sam. It was a poster with Uncle Sam pointing at the viewer with the text “I Want You For U.S. Army.” This was the illustration that was widely used during recruitment for WW1 and WW2. More than four million copies of Flagg’s Uncle Sam poster were printed between 1917 and 1918.
Uncle Sam Day is a way to celebrate Sam Wilson, the man behind the iconic Uncle Sam. Sam Wilson’s birthday is September 13th and on September 13th, 1989 President George H. W. Bush and Congress passed a resolution in 1961 that recognized Samuel Wilson as the inspiration for the symbol Uncle Sam. Now the United States has this day to celebrate the man behind the iconic nickname for the United States.
