Uncle Sam also acquired Lincoln’s facial hair and his signature top hat. When Abraham Lincoln became President, Uncle Sam and his “nephew” Yankee Doodle, a symbol from the Revolutionary War, took on new meaning as patriotic symbols of the North. Uncle Sam aged and acquired patriotic attire. Samuel Wilson was middle-aged however, the image of Uncle Sam of a few decades later bore little resemblance to the actual person it was based on. Uncle Sam became a symbol of how a lone patriot could help his country in a time of crisis.Īs the years passed and the legend grew, the symbol of Uncle Sam developed to reflect the times. The boxes were stamped with “U.S.” for United States, which the soldiers joked meant “Uncle Sam” for the man who was supplying their food. During the War of 1812, he supplied meat to the U.S. Samuel Wilson ran a meat-packing and distribution business, and was known locally in his Massachusetts town as “Uncle” Sam. The official version, confirmed by Congress in 1961, dates Uncle Sam back to the War of 1812. There are several versions of the story of Uncle Sam. Why do people feel the need to personify government? Where do symbols like these come from? Origins of Uncle Sam Each symbol personifies the government in a different way: the fatherly, sometimes overbearing Uncle Sam the oppressive, snooping Big Brother of “1984” fame and the spirited, industrious Yankee Doodle. “Uncle Sam,” “Big Brother” and “Yankee Doodle” have one thing in common - they are symbols of government.
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