WASHINGTON — How did Uncle Sam become a symbol for the United States? asks Henry E., age 10, Somerville, Massachusetts in the latest Curious Kids column.
Most Americans easily recognize Uncle SamĀ as a symbol of the United States or a national nickname. Typically portrayed as an older white man with a long white goatee and a top hat, heās almost always decked out in red, white and blue attire.
His image represents the U.S. government inĀ political cartoons, or as a stand-in for the American people everywhere fromĀ soccer gamesĀ toĀ political rallies.
He has come to represent a patriotic ideal in popular culture. In the Marvel Universe,Ā Captain Americaās costume resembles what Uncle Sam wears. That character is not only strong, but compassionate.
The most familiar Uncle Sam image of all time is anĀ Army recruiting posterĀ designed byĀ James Montgomery FlaggĀ in 1917. In it, Uncle Sam proclaims āI WANT YOU,ā while sternly pointing directly at the onlooker.
That World War I publicity campaign worked so well that the government used the image again to recruit soldiers and other members of the armed forces duringĀ World War II.
āColumbiaā and āBrother Jonathanā
Uncle Sam isnāt the only symbol that U.S. artists and illustrators have used to convey political issues of the day.
One of the earliest symbolic stand-ins for the United States was āColumbia,ā a female icon usually dressed in a toga.
In one famous depiction, sheās seen mourning President Abraham Lincoln, joined byĀ Britannia, another female character who personifies England, and a formerly enslaved person whose plight remains unclear.
So where did Uncle Samās name come from? According to aĀ resolution Congress approved in 1961, it originated with meat supplier Samuel Wilson of Troy, New York. During the War of 1812, he marked his materials for military use with āU.S.ā Workers at the time would tell a joke along the lines that āUncle Samā Wilson was feeding the Army.
Perhaps not coincidentally, two African-American Marvel superheroes are named Sam Wilson: āThe Falcon,ā who goes on to become Captain America following Steve Rogersā retirement, and Samantha Wilson, who assumed the role of Captain America in the recentĀ Spider-Gwen series.
But there was another figure resembling Uncle Sam calledĀ Brother JonathanĀ who emerged earlier.
That personification of the United States was possibly modeled onĀ John Trumbull, a Colonial Connecticut governor who opposed British rule during the War of Independence.Ā Brother Jonathan may have morphed into Uncle SamĀ around the time of the Civil War, before fading away.
In an 1876 advertisement, this young, slender man who symbolized the nation wore clothing that echoes the American flag. He looked a lot like a younger and cleanshaven version of Uncle Sam.
Itās possible that the lankiness and facial features that Uncle Sam inherited from later depictions of Brother Jonathan were a tribute toĀ President Abraham Lincoln.
Curious Kids is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question youād like an expert to answer, send it to curiouskidsus@theconversation.com.
–Paul Bruski
Associate Professor of Graphic Design
Iowa State University
The Conversation