Inspired by a butcher of the 19th century, it is the national symbol of that country. What is its history and why is it so famous?
Congress announced it 61 years ago in Washington “Representative of the National Emblem of the United States of America”, He is an old man, with a long white beard, dressed in the colors of his country, wearing a long hat and pointing a finger at anyone who is watching him.
Below his figure is a great phrase: “I Want You for the US Army” (“I want you for the United States Army”). Yes, this recruitment poster used in both world wars is the most famous in the world.
His character has appeared on many occasions and there are countless versions of him. But what is Uncle Sam and how did he emerge in the United States?
What is Uncle Sam and how did he emerge in the United States?
uncle Sam (Uncle Sam, in English) actually existed. His name was Samuel Wilson, a butcher from Troy (New York), who participated in the War of Independence and who supplied food to the army between 1812 and 1815. In those years, the country was again at war with the United Kingdom.
On one occasion, New York Governor Daniel Tompkins visited the Wilson factory and noticed that barrels of meat contained the letter “US”, which, by the way, also identifies the United States. Jokingly, the governor was told that “US” refers to Uncle Sam.
Over the years, Wilson became known across the country as uncle Sam And as the prototype of the American model. Furthermore, since the initials of his surname coincided with the people of the country, he promoted patriotism.
Almost half a century after the death of the real Uncle Sam, cartoonist James Montgomery Flagg, one of the highest-paid illustrators in the country, He was immortalized in the famous recruitment poster.
actually montgomery was based on his own face, although he painted it old and added a long beard. He was also inspired by a similar poster featuring British Secretary of War Herbert Kirchner made in 1914.
nearly four million copies of the poster of uncle Sam They were distributed throughout the country between 1917 and 1918 after the United States declared war on Germany. The success was so great that the government commissioned a new version during World War II.
since, Uncle Sam’s Versions Are Almost Endless, In addition to appearing in political campaigns, she was a hero of comics and cartoons, a cause of costumes and may even become Santa Claus or a sexy woman who chants “I want you” (“I want you”). ) says.
