Samuel Wilson Or “Uncle Sam”

America is usually personified as “Uncle Sam.” Though the term’s origin is debatable, it is typically linked to industrialist Samuel Wilson, sometimes known fondly as “Uncle Sam” Wilson. This meat packer from Troy, New York, gave the American Army barrels of beef during the War of 1812.

Although he inscribed “U.S.” for the United States on the barrels, soldiers started calling the food “Uncle Sam’s” instead. The local newspaper wrote about the incident, and Uncle Sam eventually became widely recognized as the abbreviation and symbol of the United States federal government. In the 1860s, artist Thomas Nast further made the Uncle Sam figure famous.