Samuel Wilson Or “Uncle Sam”
“Uncle Sam” is the symbolic personification of the United States. He is a man with a long, white beard, a top hat, and a red, white, and blue suit. He was used across posters everywhere during wars to encourage people to join the army.
Many believe Uncle Sam’s inspiration was a man named Samuel Wilson, a meat packer during the War of 1812. His meat packing barrels contained the letters ‘U.S.’ for the United States, with some joking that it stood for “Uncle Sam.” Wilson was born in 1766 and passed away in 1854. However, there is no actual proof that he was the inspiration behind Uncle Sam.
