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Mascots today bring a form of identity to a sports team, a company, or a nation. Here to tell the story of how America's mascot, Uncle Sam, came to be. is Wall Street Journal contributor Stu Halpern. Take it away, Stu. Yeah.
So the rumor long persisted that Uncle Sam was actually based on a real life figure. That figure was a fellow by the name of Samuel Wilson.
Now, Wilson lived in the late 1700s. He was born outside of Boston in 1766. And during the War of 1812, fought by the United States against Britain, Wilson was a popular and impactful figure. He provided barrels of meat. Two American troops, and the barrels were stamped with the sign U.S.
So the story goes that a soldier turned to someone and asked, Well, what does US stand for? And he was told, Uncle Sam Wilson, it is he who is feeding the army. And historians have actually said it's not surprising that this myth of origins arose from this rather avuncular fellow, because, as historian Alton Ketchum has noted, quote, an atmosphere of jocularity seems to have pervaded Samuel Wilson's operations wherever he went. And this was thought to be the origins of the mythical figure, the personified United States. But A few years ago, there was a discovery made of a journal by Isaac Mayo, who was a teenage Navy midshipman, and it proved that, in fact, the nickname Uncle Sam had predated.
Sam Wilson's appearance in the War of 1812. On March 24th, 1810 Mayo wrote in his diary from the USS WASP where he was serving on the ship. Quote, the first and second day out, I was most deadly seasick. Oh, could I have gone on shore in the height of it? I swear that Uncle Sam, as they call him, would certainly forever have lost the services of at least one sail.
In other words, already in 1810, people were talking about the United States through this personified character of Uncle Sam even before our beloved Sam Wilson was packing meat to serve to sailors.
Well, regardless of the actual origins, the nickname Uncle Sam actually stopped. and so the figure started to be depicted on political cartoons such as one in eighteen thirty two. That cartoon, which was elaborating on the debate over President Andrew Jackson's attack on the Bank of the United States, was titled Uncle Sam in Danger. And in that image, Uncle Sam is round-faced and clean-shaven, wearing a star and striped gown and what was known as a Liberty cap, not yet the top hat that he would later be known for. Over time, as the historian David Hackett Fisher has shown, the dressing gown depicted in that painting was replaced by a swallowtail coat and the Liberty cap turned into a beaver hat, not yet, again, the top hat that we will know and eventually love.
Now, I'll A lot of countries are known as Maternal or paternal. Figures or images. Germany is known as the fatherland to Germans. Russians speak of Mother Russia. But the American Republic, its idea of the nation state as a kindly old uncle.
to whom Americans feel attached, but not dependent. is something that uniquely characterizes America. During the Civil War, Uncle Sam symbolized the Union in an 1862 lithograph. known as Yankee Volunteers Marching into Dixie. There's an entire army of identical Sams who are, at that point, clean-shaven and smiling as they march towards an assured victory on the part of the North.
Around the same time, however, some artists started depicting Uncle Sam as Lincoln-like. Because of course the union idolized the beloved president and they started depicting Uncle Sam as being similar in visage.
So Uncle Sam became tall, lanky, and bearded. Unlike in those earlier depictions.
So closely, in fact, was Lincoln identified with the figure of this mythical Uncle Sam that when Lincoln was assassinated, A reporter in Charleston, South Carolina, described how, upon hearing of Lincoln's assassination, a bereaved black woman wrung her hands together and wailed on the street that Uncle Sam had been choked.
Now, Sam, of course, outlived President Lincoln as he has outlived all previous and, for sure, subsequent American political leaders. Perhaps the best-known image of Uncle Sam was made by an illustrator named James Montgomery Flagg. He made this image for Leslie's Weekly magazine in 1916. This was before America entered World War I. And the original iteration of the image demanded to know from this depicted Uncle Sam, what are you doing for preparedness?
The stern-faced poster asked its onlookers. Once the US entered the war, now this was World War I, the text was changed to, I want you. For the U.S. Army. And in this depiction, Uncle Sam now looked a little bit less like Lincoln, but more like the British Lord Kitchener who had conquered Sudan on behalf of the British Empire.
So Uncle Sam morphed, if you will. As his myth continued to grow and find new political context to impact. And this, Uncle Sam, not like a lanky. Unintimidating Lincoln was more mighty and more intimidating looking, a figure befitting a military striving for victory in war. And this poster by flag was printed in the millions.
In fact, 4 million were distributed to the US during the war, fixing Uncle Sam in the national imagination. A few decades later in World War II, Uncle Sam swapped his hi-hat for a GI helmet, and on factory posters he urged workers to be efficient and warned against spreading rumors about how the war was going and other such matters. There was even a version aimed at farmers. Yes, farmers. And it wanted to tell the farmers to get ready for the census taker who would be asking them about crops, livestock, and even tractors.
In other words, Uncle Sam was making hyper-specific appearances in different segments of American political and civil society. In the 21st century, Uncle Sam shows no signs of slowing down despite his age. Uncle Sam will no doubt be there as he always has been. In various forms, offering a comforting shoulder, a sense of purpose, and hopefully. Like his purported namesake, Sam Wilson was known.
A good joke. And a terrific job on the production, editing, and storytelling by our own Monty Montgomery and Reagan Habib. And a special thanks to Stu Halpern. His book, The Promise of Liberty, a Passover Haggadah. Is available in bookstores, on Amazon, or wherever you get your books.
I urge you to get it. The story of Uncle Sam, his beginnings were still not sure. To today, and beyond. The story of America's mascot. Here on Our American Stories.
Hmm. This is Lee Habib, host of Our American Stories. Every day on this show, we tell stories of history, faith, business, love, loss, and your stories. Send us your stories, small or large, to our email, oas at ouramericanstories.com. That's oas at ouramericanstories.com.
We'd love to hear them and put them on the air. Our audience loves them too. This July 4th, celebrate freedom from spills, stains, and overpriced furniture with Anibay, the only machine-washable sofa inside and out, where designer quality meets budget-friendly pricing.
Sofas started just $699, making it the perfect time to upgrade your space. Anibay's pet-friendly, stain-resistant and interchangeable slip covers are made with high-performance fabric that's built for real life. You'll love the cloud-like comfort of hypoallergenic, high-resilience foam that never needs fluffing and a durable steel frame that stands the test of time. With modular pieces, you can rearrange any time. It's a sofa that adapts to your life.
Now, through July 4th, get up to 60% off site-wide at washable.com. Every order comes with a 30-day satisfaction guarantee. If you're not in love, send it back for a full refund. No return shipping, no restocking fees, every penny back. Declare independence from dirty, outdated furniture.
Shop now at washable sofas.com. Offers are subject to change and certain restrictions may apply. Who needs headphones when you have glasses? Ray-Ben MetaGlasses. With discrete open-air speakers and built-in microphones, you can play your favorite tunes.
Hey, Meta, play hip-hop music. while staying in tune with the world around you. With Ray-Band Meta Glasses, choose from a variety of classic Ray-Band frames, all with Meta AI at meta.com slash AI dash glasses. And don't forget to say, hey Meta, play iHeartRadio to enjoy your favorite radio stations, artists, and podcasts on the iHeart app. Every business has an ambition.
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