Beyond the Trivia-Uncle Sam

You probably didn't know that September 13th is Uncle Sam Day, but you probably know Uncle Sam as the well-known personification of the United States federal government. Of the three statements about Uncle Sam, which are true? One, that Uncle Sam replaced a female as the personification of the United States. Two, that Uncle Sam dates back to World War I, and three, that Uncle Sam was inspired by a man named Sam.

Answer:

The federal government is often referred to as Uncle Sam, as in "I just got my check from Uncle Sam". Was the first personification of the nation a female, replaced by Uncle Sam ? Yes, the original personification was Columbia, a woman usually in classical dress that eventually resembled the Statue of Liberty. One difference: Columbia represented the nation, while Uncle Sam usually represents only the federal government. Once Columbia Pictures adopted the image of Columbia as its logo, the government pretty much dropped using her image.

Is statement two true, that Uncle Sam dates back to world war I? The image we know best is the one of Uncle Sam pointing, with the caption, "Uncle Sam wants you". The image, by James Montgomery Flagg, was created during World War I, but Uncle Sam dates back to the War of 1812. So that's not true.

Statement three is that Uncle Sam is said to be inspired by a man named Sam. That's true. According to legend, meat packer Samuel Wilson of Troy, New York delivered meat to federal troops and his barrels were stamped with U.S., to note they were intended for U.S. personnel. Seeing those initials, someone is said to have remarked that the initials stood for "Uncle Sam". Whether it's true or not,

Congress recognized Samuel Wilson as “the progenitor of America’s national symbol of Uncle Sam.” in an official declaration in 1961 and today, September 13, was Samuel Wilson's birthday.