What is Uncle Sam Day?
The United States honors Uncle Sam Day on September 13th. The day honors the man behind the iconic image and enthralling nickname for the United States government, who was born on September 13, 1766.
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Sam Wilson, a meatpacker from New York, was born on September 12, 1766, and sold barrels of meat to soldiers during the war of 1812. Wilson prominently stamped "U.S." on the barrels to identify the meat for shipment. The soldiers were not long before the soldiers dubbed the grub a gift from Uncle Sam. As such nicknames tend to do, its fame has soared.
Uncle Sam's first illustration is unlike the one we see today. The young government representative (a starred bandana on his head and sporting a striped vest) is depicted dividing up Virginia like a butcher, according to Harper's Weekly in 1861. Uncle Sam's image would change over the years.
We're grateful to German-born illustrator and cartoonist Thomas Nast for bringing the long-legged Uncle Sam to us. The Uncle Sam debut in Harper's Weekly included top hat and striped pants. He had several problems with Nast as his illustrator, and he had to deal with him as his illustrator. Boss Tweed, Union recruitment, and Reconstruction were among the issue areas covered.
