PART1CBCCBACACBPART2BACCDDDCBPART3BACCCDBBDCBCDTheHistoryofUncleSamSeptember7marksthe195thbirthdayofUncleSam.ThenicknamefortheUnitedStateswasgivenin1813andlinkedtoSamuelWilson,ameatpackerfromTroy,NewYork.ThenicknameeventuallyleadtoapersonificationoftheUnitedStatesandwasusedinagreatdealofcampaigningandrecruitingplans.DuringtheWarof1812,SamuelWilsonsuppliedbarrelsofbeeftotheUnitedStatesArmyandstamped"U.S."ontheoutsides.Thesoldierssoonjokinglyreferringtothefoodas"UncleSam's"andeventuallyalocalnewspaperpickedupthestory.ThecoverageledtothepeopleoftheUnitedStatestoadopt"UncleSam"asthenicknamefortheU.S.federalgovernment.Overtime,severalcartoonistsandartistsbegandevelopingtheimageoftheUncleSamwepicturetoday.ThefirstimagecamefrompoliticalcartoonistThomasNastinthelate1860sand1870s.NasttooktheideaofUncleSamandtiedittoanelderlymanwithawhitebeardandastars-and-stripessuit.Nastwasresponsibleforagreatdealofourcountry'smostpopularimagery.HecreatedthedonkeyasthesymbolfortheDemocraticPartyandtheelephantasthesymbolfortheRepublicanPartyaswellasamoderndrawingof"MerryOldSantaClaus,"whichwasfeaturedinHarper'sWeeklyonJanuary1,1881ArtistJamesMontgomeryFlaggtooktheimageofUncleSamastepfurtherandcreatedpossiblyUncleSam'smostfamouspicture.HisversionofUncleSamshowedhimwearingatalltophatwithawidebluebandandwhitestars,aredbowtieandabluejacketUncleSamisstaringsternlyaheadandpointingattheviewer.ItwasitsplacementonWorldWarIrecruitingposters(withthephrase"IWantYouFortheU.S.Army"beneathit)thattrulysolidifiedUncleSamasthepersonificationoftheUnitedStates.Afterwards,theimagewasusedonthecoverofLeslie'sWeeklyinJuly1916withthetitle"WhatAreYouDoingForPreparedness?"underneaththeimage.Theimagehasbeenusedinrecruitingandisconsistentlyusedinmodernculture.BesidesappearingasacomicbookheroforQualityandDCcomics,UncleSamisalsousedinimageryfortheNewYorkYankees.TheMajorLeagueBaseballteamusesUncleSam'shatintheirteamlogo,whereitsitsontopofabatthatformstheverticallineofthe"K"in"Yankees."FansoftenwearUncleSamhatstogamesoreventspromotingtheteam.TherockgroupGratefulDeadfeaturedaskeletalUncleSamasoneoftheirsymbols,referringbacktotheirsongU.S.Blues,"Redandwhite,bluesuedeshoes,I'mUncleSam,howdoyoudo?"Mostrecently,theimageofUncleSamwasfeaturedprominentlyinthe2007filmAcrosstheUniverse.AfilmbasedaroundthesongsoftheBeatles,alargerthanlifeUncleSamreachesoutfromaVietnamrecruitingpostertograbayoungmanrespondingtohisdraftnoticeduringthesong,"IWantYou."OtherpersonificationsoftheUnitedStatespreviouslywereBrotherJonathanandColumbia.BrotherJonathanwasregardedasthepersonificationoftheUnitedStatesasearlyas1776."BrotherJonathan"wasatermusedbyBritishLoyaliststodescribeRevolutionaryPatriots.BelievedtobebasedontheGovernorofConnecticut,JonathanTurnbull,theimageofBrotherJonathansoonappearedinpoliticalcartoonsandposters.VerysimilartoUncleSam,heispicturedwithatophat,acoatwithtailsandstripedpants.GraduallyduringtheCivilWar,BrotherJonathanwasreplacedbyUncleSamandColumbia.Bytheendofthewar,UncleSamhadbeenfirmlyadopted.ColumbiawasanameforAmericatakenfromAfricanAmericanpoetPhillisWheatley.ThefirsttodescribethenewnationasthegoddessColumbiain1775,theimagestuck,howeveritwasn'tthefirsttimeAmericahadviewedherselfasawoman.Inthesixteenthcentury,imagesofAmericaasawomanshowedhertobeahalf-clothedNativeAmerican,sometimesasa"savagecannibalwoman"or"aregalIndianqueen."Shewast...
