Thursday, August 12, 2010

Uncle SAM, symbol of American Patriotism

Hi, there!,

Have you ever wondered about the origin of UNCLE SAM? Where does he come from? Well, my mother asked me this a few days ago, and I could only answer her that this famous man is one of the most representative emblem of American Patriotism, as well as the Statue of Liberty. But what is his origin?

It is said that Uncle Sam was actually a meat packer in Troy, New York. His name was Mr Samuel Wilson. During the War of 1812, he supplied rations to the American army. As a matter of fact, these goods were stamped with these letters "E.A. - U.S.", E. A. referred to Elbert Anderson; whereas it was believed that U.S. referred to abbreviation of USA. Surprisingly, one of Sam's workers joshed that it stood for "Elbert Anderson and Uncle Sam," meaning the jovial Wilson himself. The soldiers already knew Samuel Wilson's cooperation, but they continued saying Uncle Sam. Was it only a joke?

Thus, from that moment onwards, the legend of Uncle Sam as a patriotic symbol and American proud cooperation was spread over the country.

If you are interested, you can read more at Suite101: Uncle Sam: A Brief History of America's Greatest Symbol http://www.suite101.com/content/uncle-sam-a42838#ixzz0y2FjnMx6

http://www.uncle-sams-home.com/ (Brief history for Children)

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