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Related: Culture Forums, Support ForumsEVER wonder where the name "Uncle Sam" came from?
On September 7, 1813, the United States gets its nickname, Uncle Sam. The name is linked to Samuel Wilson, a meat packer from Troy, New York, who supplied barrels of beef to the United States Army during the War of 1812. Wilson (1766-1854) stamped the barrels with U.S. for United States, but soldiers began referring to the grub as Uncle Sams. The local newspaper picked up on the story and Uncle Sam eventually gained widespread acceptance as the nickname forand personification ofthe U.S. federal government.
In the late 1860s and 1870s, political cartoonist Thomas Nast (1840-1902) began popularizing the image of Uncle Sam. Nast continued to evolve the image, eventually giving Sam the white beard and stars-and-stripes suit that are associated with the character today. The German-born Nast was also credited with creating the modern image of Santa Claus as well as coming up with the donkey as a symbol for the Democratic Party and the elephant as a symbol for the Republicans. Nast also famously lampooned the corruption of New York Citys Tammany Hall in his editorial cartoons and was, in part, responsible for the downfall of Tammany leader William Tweed.
Perhaps the most famous image of Uncle Sam was created by artist James Montgomery Flagg (1877-1960). In Flaggs version, Uncle Sam wears a tall top hat and blue jacket and is pointing straight ahead at the viewer. During World War I, this portrait of Sam with the words I Want You For The U.S. Army was used as a recruiting poster. The image, which became immensely popular, was first used on the cover of Leslies Weekly in July 1916 with the title What Are You Doing for Preparedness? The poster was widely distributed and has subsequently been re-used numerous times with different captions.
In September 1961, the U.S. Congress recognized Samuel Wilson as the progenitor of Americas national symbol of Uncle Sam. Wilson died at age 88 in 1854, and was buried next to his wife Betsey Mann in the Oakwood Cemetery in Troy, New York, the town that calls itself The Home of Uncle Sam.
https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/united-states-nicknamed-uncle-sam
Croney
(4,671 posts)Clash City Rocker
(3,402 posts)Created by comics legend Will Eisner, no less.
https://dc.fandom.com/wiki/Uncle_Sam_(New_Earth)
Wounded Bear
(58,721 posts)wnylib
(21,618 posts)mascots for the Democratic and Republican parties, but WHY did he choose the ones that he did? Are they supposed to represent certain characteristics, and if so, what ones?
YoshidaYui
(41,864 posts)Democrats: stubborn like a Donkey
Republicans: Have long memories like Elephants? (or maybe huge , fat and rich) lol