American Revolution. Samuel and Elizabeth courted for two years, but eventually separated. In 1789, he and his brother Ebenezer moved to Troy, New York trying to escape the economic depression that came after the American Revolution.
Samuel Wilson’s early life was similar to many of the children growing up in the 1770’s. He lived on a small plot of land in Massachusetts with his parents, Edward and Lucy Wilson, and his older brothers, Ebenezer, Edward Jr. and Joseph. Samuel looked up to his father, an important minuteman during the American Revolution. He was very patriotic as a child and his parents brought him to many important events, such as the burial of the people who were killed during the Boston Massacre. He did end up joining the military as a “service boy” and helped bring supplies to the soldiers during the battle of Fort Ticonderoga.
When Samuel Wilson was 21 years old, he met Elizabeth Amanda Mann at a Federalist Rally. Elizabeth was the daughter of Col. Thomas Mann, a hero of the
118 Years Ago, A Legend Was Born
The man behind the legend of “Uncle Sam” was born on September 13, 1766. Samuel Wilson was a meatpacker that worked in Troy, New York during the War of 1812. His business supplied and inspected meat that was to be sent to the United States Army. The barrels of meat that were sent out of Samuel Wilson’s factory were labeled, “E.A. - U.S.” These letters stood for, “Elbert Anderson,” (the contractor), and, “United States.” One day, a member of the United States Army that was loading barrels of meat to be shipped asked one of Samuel Wilson’s employees what the letters stood for. The man replied by saying, “Elbert Anderson, and Uncle Sam.” From this day on, people used Uncle Sam interchangeably with the United States, and eventually, he grew into a symbol of the United States.
They were both very poor, and they spent many years doing as many different jobs as they could, until they finally had enough money to start a business. Samuel Wilson was quoted as saying, “The big thing is not what happens to us in life, but what we do about what happens to us.” Samuel and Ebenezer started a brick making business and supplied construction companies with bricks for their buildings. The Rensselaer County Courthouse, the First Baptist Church of Troy, and a few other buildings in Troy were made with the bricks that Samuel and Ebenezer supplied. Not long after they started this business, they had over 250 people working for them. The workers loved Samuel because he paid high wages and was friendly with them. They started calling him, “Uncle Sam,” as a nickname. This name stuck and it is what caused Samuel Wilson to become a symbol of the United States.
Eventually, Samuel Wilson realized that meat was an essential product for people to live, so he became a meat provisioner in Troy.
When the War of 1812 started, he decided that he would supply the United States military with meat for the soldiers. This is when he started to become the symbol he is now. When Samuel Wilson’s employee told the soldier that “U.S.” stood for “Uncle Sam,” the legend was born. From that day on, the legend continued to grow into what it is now.
“Uncle Sam” has been used as a symbol in many different ways and forms. We know Uncle Sam as a tall and skinny man with a white beard. Since the Civil War, his face has been modeled after Abraham Lincoln. He wears a star-spangled top hat, pinstripe pants, and a red, white, and blue jacket, but he did not always look this way. Cartoonists have portrayed him as tall and skinny, and also short and overweight. Cartoonists change the way that Uncle Sam looks based on the point they are trying to get across.
The first time Uncle Sam was referred to as a symbol of our country in print was in the spring of 1813 in the Troy Post. Although, this article did not make the connection to Samuel Wilson. Samuel Wilson was not connected to Uncle Sam in print until 1830 in the New York Gazette. Two years later, in 1832, Uncle Sam appeared as a cartoon for the first time, though he looked much different than he does now. There were still stars and stripes present in all of the early cartoons, but the form of Uncle Sam changed around a lot.
Before Uncle Sam was around, the main symbol of the United States was known as Brother Jonathan. Brother Jonathan was younger than Uncle Sam, but he wore similar attire. In the 1860’s, Brother Jonathan and Uncle Sam had begun to be used simultaneously as a symbol of our country. Brother Jonathan was used when lighter subjects were being discussed, while Uncle Sam was used
when more serious subjects were being discussed, such as politics or the government. By 1870, Uncle Sam had become the symbol we know him as now.
Uncle Sam is mostly used to talk about politics by cartoonists. He has been used by both the Democratic and Republican parties. He has been used to represent the United States in such heavy topics as immigration, imperialism, and slavery. For example, in the cartoon, “Uncle Sam’s Boarding House,” by Joseph Keppler, Uncle Sam is used to show how immigration, specifically Irish immigration, is hurting the United States by stealing jobs and causing legal trouble. Keppler shows this by having an Irish immigrant yelling at Uncle Sam, while Uncle Sam covers his ears. In another cartoon by Keppler, titled, “Welcome to All,” Uncle Sam is used to show that the United States should welcome immigrants with open arms. These two cartoons show how Uncle Sam has been used on both sides of the same topic.
Uncle Sam is an important symbol of the United States. He is someone that Americans can relate to and helps us to have pride in our country. It is important for people to learn the backstory of this American legend so that all Americans can become more patriotic together.
-Michael Jacques
(The New York Public Library)
(Ohio State Univerisity)
(Library of Congress)
(The New York Public Library)