The Origin of the Uncle Sam Character

The origin of the Uncle Sam character varies depending on the source of information and who is telling the story. The actual figure of Uncle Sam can be traced back to the War of 1812 or even earlier. Samuel Wilson, a meat packer from New York is said to have been the origin of the original Uncle Sam character. During his work as a meat packer at a company he co-owned with his brother, they were supplying the War of 1812 soldiers with food rations. Wilson had previously fought during the American Revolution at the age of 15, so he understood patriotism and was devoted to America. Locally, the residents referred to the well-liked, fair, honest, and reliable man as 'Uncle Sam'. The company Wilson ran with his brother were supplying meat to the troops, which was arranged through a contract with another company, Elbert Anderson, who was responsible for all food rations for the U.S. forces in New York and in New Jersey. Their contract required them to fill thousands of barrels of pork and beef for one year.
Each of the packages they provided had to be stamped with the supply company's name, and Wilson used Anderson's initials along with the abbreviation of United States, US. The bottom of each can was then stamped 'E.A. - US'. When someone in the meat packing plant asked a co-worker what the letters stood for, the co-worker joked and said the US was short for 'Uncle Sam', which referred to Sam Wilson.
Some of the soldiers the cans of meat were feeding had been from New York and were familiar with 'Uncle Sam' Wilson, and they believed the US meant the same thing. A local newspaper heard of the story and published it resulting in Uncle Sam gaining widespread acceptance as a nickname for the U.S. federal government. Of course, there is some doubt as to the authenticity of the story, but nonetheless, it is one that has been passed on for many years. Regardless of the source, the long-used symbol for America has been the character Uncle Sam, becoming quite popular especially during war time. It has appeared quite often with the image of Abraham Lincoln replacing the familiar face of Uncle Sam in some posters and drawings.