Uncle Sam is a figure that symbolizes the United States. The term originated as an unfriendly nickname for the U.S. government during the War of 1812.
The term “Uncle Sam” was used as early as 1813. In that year, a Troy, N.Y., newspaper stated that it apparently had arisen because of the initials “U.S.” on government wagons. In 1816, the nickname appeared in a book title, The Adventures of Uncle Sam. It was later asserted that the term had its origin in a specific person—Samuel “Uncle Sam” Wilson of Troy, N.Y., who supplied the army with “U.S.”-stamped barrels of provisions.
The costume of Uncle Sam, decorated with stars and stripes, originated in cartoons of the 1830’s and 1840’s. But the figure did not assume its present form until after the Civil War (1861-1865). In 1961, Congress passed a resolution saluting Samuel Wilson as the person who inspired America’s national symbol.
