No matter
what generation you are from you no doubt have seen a version of an Uncle Sam
poster.
There are
several theories about the origin of this pop culture figure. It is universally
acknowledged that this image and icon of U.S. military began after the War of
1812, on September 7, 1813.
One of
the most popular stories on the creation or so called birth of the Uncle Sam
character is based on Samuel Wilson. He was a worker in the meatpacking district
in New York during these years. The owners of the plant used to stamp their
products ““E.A.-U.S.” reflecting the owners initials as well as the U.S.A.
Eventually it got reduced to just “U.S.” untimely standing for Uncle Sam a.k.a.
Samuel Wilson. This story was published in 1830 in the New York Gazette. In
1961 Congress acknowledged this as the official version of the actions leading
to the creation of the universal Uncle Sam character. Troy, New York, the town
where Samuel Wilson lived now claims itself to be the home of Uncle Sam as
well. I am not sure how much tourism if any they got from this proclamation,
good for them.
Now that
we apparently know how the name came about the only remaining mystery is
related to his image.
Despite
the decades that had past since the Uncle Sam writings, it wasn’t until 1870
when his first image appeared published by Harper’s Weekly. Cartoonist Thomas
Nast drew a man with whiskers on his face wearing a top hot and red and white
stripped pants.
According
to History Dot Com:
The final step in the character’s transition into a
national icon came courtesy of artist James Montgomery Flagg. In 1916, he used
his own face as a model for an Uncle Sam cartoon in a periodical called
Leslie’s Illustrated Weekly Newspaper. The image, which shows a goateed Uncle
Sam pointing straight at the viewer, later appeared in a now-famous World War I
recruitment poster featuring the tagline “I Want You For U.S. Army.”
Nast was
a mastery of his field. During his career he is known to have created images of
Santa Claus as well as the donkey and elephant symbols that represent the
Democratic and Republican Party’s respectively.
Here are
some other notable moments in history occurred on September 7th:
·
During
the American Revolution in 1776 the world’s first submarine attack is used
during a war.
·
During
the Civil War the city of Atlanta is evacuated in 1864.
·
Guillaume
Apollinaire is arrested for stealing the Mona Lisa in 1911.
·
In
1936 Buddy Holly was born.
·
Julie
Kavner future voice of Marge Simpson is born in 1950.
·
In
1986 Bishop Desmond Tutu becomes the archbishop of Cape Town, two years after
winning the Nobel Peace Prize for his nonviolent opposition to apartheid in
South Africa.
·
In
1996 famed West coast rapper Tupac Shakur is shot and later dies.
From
where I am sitting it appears that Uncle Sam may be the most successful
advertising campaign of all time.
If I am
ever in Troy, New York I will be sure to stop by and pay my respects to Samuel
Wilson, the only Uncle Sam I have ever had.
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