Uncle Sam
... around that time. Sam Wilson was in the industry of butchering and packing meat. He provided big deliveries of meat to the US Army, in barrels that were stamped with the initials "U.S." Supposedly, someone who saw the "U.S." stamp suggested, perhaps as a joke; that the initials stood for "Uncle Sam" Wilson. The suggestion that the meat shipments came from "Uncle Sam" led to the idea that Uncle Sam represents the federal government. From henceforth Uncle Sam was a political symbol. Sam Wilson died in 1854. Uncle Sam's first drawings were by Thomas Nast, a well-known 19th century political cartoonist. Despite the thoughts that Uncle Sam was depicted from Samuel Wilson the two men did not share the same appearance. The star spangled suit and white goatee were a creation of the cartoonists. Sam Wilson was in fact a clean shaven and did not dress so flamboyantly. The final version of Uncle Sam that we are most familiar with today came about in 1917. The famous "I Want You" recruiting advertisements by James Montgomery Flagg set the image of Uncle Sam firmly into American awareness. I personally feel that Uncle Sam can be harmful to our nation. Uncle Sam represents our government and patriotism. He also represents a type of pressure that our rulers have thought up. It is almost a type of peer pressure. The “I Want You” posters seem to be...