where did the term uncle sam come from?

Answer 1

It is a combination of sources. The most obvious is the U.S. stamp that has been used on American government property for over 200 years. Initials on property suggest a name, and it is not surprising that a common one was chosen -- historically Sam, Samuel was a very common name.

In addition, Sam was the first name of the one-time popular literary figure "Sam Slick" a Yankee peddler popularized in the novels and stories of Thomas Chandler Haliburton. Since Sam Slick was the archetypal Yankee, it seemed very natural for his name to be used for the S, and Uncle to become the meaning of the U, as any proud Yankee would be happy to claim Slick as a relative.

Answer 2

A widely held belief is that the original Uncle Sam was one

Sam Wilson

a meat packer in Troy, New York, who supplied rations to the U.S. military during the War of 1812.
On being asked what the letters stood for stamped on all the pair's army-bound grub, one of Sam's workers joked that it stood for "Uncle Sam," referring to Wilson.

The joke was quickly picked up by Wilson's other employees. Many of these men later served in the army during the war, and the story spread from there. This tale appears to have first found its way into print in 1842.

Answer 3

Historians aren't completely certain how the character "Uncle Sam" was created, or who (if anyone) he was named after. The prevailing theory is that Uncle Sam was named after Samuel Wilson.

During the War of 1812, Wilson was in the business of slaughtering and packing meat. He provided large shipments 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 symbolized the federal government.

Thomas Nast, a prominent 19th-century political cartoonist, produced many of the earliest cartoons of Uncle Sam. However, historians and collectors take note: Many of Nast's cartoons may appear to depict Uncle Sam, while in fact they depict Yankee Doodle or "Brother Jonathan." It is easy to mistake a Brother Jonathan cartoon for one of Uncle Sam, since both figures wear star-spangled suits of red, white and blue. As a rule, Brother Jonathan was drawn with a feather in his cap, while Uncle Sam was not; and Uncle Sam is nearly always drawn with a beard, while Brother Jonathan was clean-shaven.

The single most famous portrait of Uncle Sam is the "I WANT YOU" Army recruiting poster from World War I. The poster was painted by James Montgomery Flagg in 1916-1917.

Answer 4

a meat packer is correct ..! during 1812