The name Uncle Sam may have come from a New York meat merchant.

U.S. History

E very country needs a national symbol to represent its noble struggle, and the United States has one of the most recognizable: Uncle Sam, who is said to be named after a New York meat merchant. Samuel Wilson of Troy, New York, was himself known as Uncle Sam, an affectionate nickname that became familiar to millions of Americans after he supplied thousands of barrels of beef and pork to hungry troops during the War of 1812. The barrels had "U.S." stamped on them to indicate that they were government property, but the initials came to be associated with Uncle Sam among grateful soldiers.

The name took off, and before long illustrations of Uncle Sam began appearing in print. Cartoonists such as Thomas Nast and Joseph Keppler depicted the patriotic figure as a thin and bearded older man with a top hat and coattails, popularizing the image we recognize today. The origin of the name "Uncle Sam" remains disputed, however, and some historians have noted that references to the name appeared in newspapers before Wilson ever stamped "U.S." on his meat barrels. Still, the legend is widely accepted, and Congress even passed a resolution in 1961 recognizing Wilson as Uncle Sam's namesake. Today, the figure is inextricably linked with America, but he wasn't the first personification of the country. He was preceded by Brother Jonathan, a rustic but good-natured character who originated in New England during the American Revolution.

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By the Numbers

Years the United States has been an independent nation

247

U.S. soldiers at the start of the War of 1812

7,000

Did you know?

America has a female personification as well.

Though Uncle Sam is the most famous personification of these United States, he was preceded by Columbia, also known as Miss Columbia and Lady Columbia, a goddess-like figure named for Christopher Columbus. The figure was first introduced in a 1697 poem by Chief Justice Samuel Sewall of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, who suggested naming the colonies Columbina. She took on greater prominence when Phillis Wheatley, a formerly enslaved woman, invoked her in a 1775 ode to George Washington that ends with the lines "Fix'd are the eyes of nations on the scales /For in their hopes Columbia's arm prevails." Countless cities and companies have since been named in her honor, and the Columbia Pictures logo is perhaps her best-known modern portrayal.