A good way to celebrate America on its birthday (and other times) is to learn about good ole Uncle Sam. Where did he come from, what did he do, and where is he going? How much better is it to celebrate in 2026, the year of America’s 250th birthday!
By Mark D. Harris
The 250th birthday of America is only a week away. Raleigh County (WV) has a county fair, a baseball game, several fireworks displays, special dinners, a golf cart parade, and activities at our veterans and first responders museum, to celebrate the occasion. For these events, some of us will become Uncle Sam, entertaining others and telling them about our great nation. If any of our readers wants to serve as Uncle Sam for this, or any other Independence Day activity (in any year), the information following can help.
Materials
- Uncle Sam costume – basic costumes cost $30-100. High quality, custom made costumes will cost over $1,000.
- Uncle Sam poster 24×36 – This is the classic portrayal which most people remember
What about weapons? Uncle Sam has been heavily involved in defending the nation.
- Revolutionary and 1812 (west) Virginia Rifle (flintlock) – Brother Jonathan and later Uncle Sam (1812) would have had such a rifle.
- Civil War rifle (caplock) – Springfield model 1861/3.
- World War 1 – typically without a weapon at all, but reenactors can use the 1903 Springfield or the 1917 Enfield.
- World War 2 – Uncle Sam could be portrayed with an M1903 Springfield bolt action rifle or the M1 Garand.
- Vietnam – M16, standard issue rifle
The Story
The modern image of Uncle Sam did not emerge from a single source. Instead, he is a composite figure who absorbed the physical traits, cultural roles, and names of three distinct predecessors: Samuel Wilson (the real-world namesake), “Brother Jonathan” (the rustic male cartoon character), and Columbia (the elegant female personification).
During the 19th century, political cartoonists gradually merged these three separate identities into a single icon to reflect America’s shift from a loose collection of states into a unified global power.
The Name: Samuel Wilson’s Government Stamp
Before Uncle Sam was a visual cartoon, he was an auditory joke. During the War of 1812, a meatpacker named Samuel Wilson from Troy, New York, shipped barrels of beef to U.S. troops. Sam Wilson was popular among his neighbors and customers and was called “Uncle Sam.” Regulations required Army suppliers to stamp their barrels with the sender and recipient. The barrels were stamped “U.S.” for United States. Soldiers joked that the initials stood for their local food supplier, “Uncle Sam”. The phrase quickly became military slang for the federal government itself. However, the real Samuel Wilson was clean-shaven and did not wear a top hat; his contribution was strictly the patriotic nickname.
The Body and Clothes: “Brother Jonathan”
Before the Civil War, the primary male symbol of the American people was Brother Jonathan. Originating as a derogatory British term for New England Puritans, American cartoonists adopted him during the Revolutionary War as a symbol of bold, cunning Yankee spirit.
Brother Jonathan was drawn as a tall, gangly country man wearing striped trousers, a mismatched tailcoat, and a top hat. He is variously portrayed as ragged and poor, reminding us of our humble beginnings, and strong and wealthy, reminding us to be thankful for our current power and prosperity. Brother Jonathan represented the people and individual state power, while the phrase “Uncle Sam” represented the federal government. During the American Civil War, as the country fought to preserve the Union, the federal government took center stage. Cartoonists like Thomas Nast gradually stopped drawing Brother Jonathan. They took Jonathan’s tall frame, striped pants, and top hat, added a patriotic white beard, and assigned the clothes to the name Uncle Sam.
The Moral Authority: Columbia
From the Revolutionary War through the late 19th century, Columbia was the premier goddess-like female personification of American ideals, liberty, and justice. Her image frequently adorned cartoons and other artwork in the American Civil War. Columbia became the name of provinces (British Columbia), cities (Columbia, SC), schools (Columbia University), ships (USS Columbia), a space shuttle (SSN), and many others.
In early political cartoons, Uncle Sam and Columbia appeared together as partners. Columbia acted as the elegant, moral conscience of the nation, while Uncle Sam or Brother Jonathan was the gritty, practical worker. By the early 20th century, Columbia’s role was split. Her visual identity as a beacon of liberty was largely absorbed by the newly constructed Statue of Liberty (1886). Concurrently, her role as the supreme defender of the nation during wartime was absorbed by Uncle Sam, transforming him from a humorous government bureaucrat into a stern, authoritative figure.
Columbia Pictures adopted Columbia as its logo in 1924. With this commercial orientation, Columbia as a personification lost much of her moral authority. In the twenty-first century, Columbia is the subject of a US commemorative coin.
The Final Synthesis: James Montgomery Flagg (1917)
The complete transformation was cemented during World War I by illustrator James Montgomery Flagg. He took the folk name of Samuel Wilson, the Yankee costume of Brother Jonathan, and the sovereign authority once held by Columbia, merging them into the famous “I Want You” military recruitment poster.
Portrayals of Uncle Sam over the years
The character of Uncle Sam has been used for a variety of tasks and perspectives. He is keeping order in an immigrant boarding house (1882). He is giving aid to Africans, while simultaneously shooting American Indians at Wounded Knee (1891). He is a wasp stinging a fleeing Spanish soldier (1898). He is the leading world trader, handing locomotives, chemicals, clothing, food, and war material to desperate buyers (1899). He is rich and poor in a cartoon meant to encourage humility (1899).
Uncle Sam is firing the starting gun in the republican vs. democrat presidential race (1916). He is handing artillery shells to be used against the Germans (1918). He is honoring American industry, including steel, electricity, Ford, and General Motors (1925). He is telling American business to dig themselves out of trouble with the elixir of courage and energy (1930). Uncle Sam is tied up and staked to the earth, unable to move because of Roosevelt’s New Deal programs (1935). Finally, President Barack Obama is pictured as Uncle Sam, instead of “I want you,” saying “I want us.” (2009).
Conclusion
We live in a fraught time for the world, Western Civilization, and the United States. Those who hate us, many of whom are among us, tear America down with accusations, distortions, and lies. Studying history, real history, with its highs and lows, provides an honest perspective. When celebrating America’s 250th birthday, I hope that many people will impersonate Uncle Sam. If not, I hope at least that people will learn about him, and about other parts of our nation’s story.
