Uncle Sam (icon)
Uncle Sam is an iconic figure representing the United States, characterized by his white hair, goatee, and a distinctive outfit featuring a star-spangled top hat and patriotic colors. Originally adopted to symbolize loyalty and unity, Uncle Sam embodies the spirit of the nation, especially during times of conflict. The figure's roots are intertwined with American history, drawing parallels to President Abraham Lincoln and possibly stemming from the name of Samuel Wilson, a meat packer who supplied rations to soldiers during the War of 1812.
Uncle Sam gained prominence as a patriotic symbol, particularly through propaganda during World Wars I and II, most famously depicted in James Montgomery Flagg's recruiting poster with the phrase, "I Want You for U.S. Army." Over the years, Uncle Sam's image has been used in various contexts, from promoting war efforts to influencing public policy and even serving as a figure in protests against U.S. actions abroad. The icon continues to resonate in American culture, evoking themes of unity, democracy, and national pride, while also inviting critical discourse on the nation's values and actions.
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Uncle Sam (icon)
Early in its history, America adopted the iconic figure of Uncle Sam, a white-haired and goatee-bearded man in a red, white, and blue star-spangled top hat wearing a blue tailcoat and red and white striped pants. He represented loyalty, fidelity, and unity to one indivisible nation thirty-six years after the founding of the country. The icon of Uncle Sam is a sobriquet for the USA, a steely-faced, all business, no-pushover nation, pointing his finger at "you" the people, inspiring patriotic fervor in times of war and national emergencies. The raison d’être of the Uncle Sam icon is to express a unanimity of purpose, that the American people are a heroic paragon of unity standing under one banner safeguarding democracy. Mere mention of the name in song, cartoons, and art forms reminds people of their country and its purpose. It is a favorite symbol for advertising all kinds of consumer products or inspiring young people to join the military.
Brief History
The American bald eagle preceded Uncle Sam. The eagle was chosen by Congress as the national symbol for its virtue, purity, innocence, powerful presence, and perseverance, but the eagle never became more than an emblem; it did not grow in importance or acceptance. This is not to belittle the eagle. When astronaut Neil Armstrong landed on the moon, his first words were, "The eagle has landed."
Uncle Sam nudged Columbia (for Christopher Columbus) from her once prominent spot as the nation’s emblem. The woman, wearing a star-spangled hat, right arm stretched with finger pointing toward heaven, and holding a plaque of stars and stripes in the left hand, was popular in the nineteenth century. There was also a Columbia poster with her hat and in an American flag dress, arms stretching outward, hands open as if to embrace the American people and pull them toward her. The Statue of Liberty eventually replaced Columbia as the national emblem.
Uncle Sam is also thought to be mentioned the first time in a revolutionary war song, "Yankee Doodle." The reference was intended to demean and belittle the upstart rebels. Uncle Sam appears in literature for the first time in the 1816 book The Adventures of Uncle Sam in Search after His Lost Honor, following earlier appearances around the time of the War of 1812.
The Uncle Sam icon grew in popularity, even promoting the US annexation of Hawaii in 1897. It was James Montgomery Flagg’s drawing for a 1916 magazine that inspired the nation to mobilize the home front during World War I. Appearing in Flagg’s recruiting posters for both World Wars, Uncle Sam morphed into the iconic class. The recruiting poster with the image of Uncle Sam reads, "I WANT YOU FOR U.S. ARMY." The image appears everywhere throughout World War II and was the key figure in the 1942 patriotic musical Yankee Doodle Dandy. The image of Uncle Sam even made it into Dr. Seuss cartoons and whimsical children’s books.
Overview
The origin of the Uncle Sam icon is hazy. The most accepted story stems from two complementary narratives. The face and build of Uncle Sam have a keen resemblance to President Abraham Lincoln. Who better to model the man than the man who became an icon of American history? Lincoln is known for his honesty, ability to mobilize the people, and his dedication to one national state.
The name "Uncle Sam" might be taken from Samuel Wilson, a meat packer and supplier of rations to the armed forces in the War of 1812. It is an endearing term for the man who fed the troops. Another attribution is to the icon being a symbol of government power. Nevertheless, as is not uncommon to mythologies and obscure historical record, there are two memorials to Sam Wilson. "The Uncle Sam Memorial Statue" in Massachusetts stands at Wilson’s birthplace, and another memorial stands in his long-time home of Troy, New York. Congress created "Uncle Sam Day" in 1989.
Icons, symbols, and emblems are used to motivate. They help people identify with a product, service, or in this case, stimulating a sense of patriotism in tough times. Uncle Sam was used to help raise money for the war efforts by selling War Bonds. Another poster depicts the fatherly looking man peering at children with the caption, "Boys and Girls! You can help your Uncle Sam Win the War. Save your Quarters. Buy War Savings Stamps."
The Library of Congress offers teachers lesson suggestions for teaching about Uncle Sam. Children are encouraged to analyze the images and report the characteristics Uncle Sam represents, explain why he became a national icon, if he is effective today, and challenge students to design their own costume for what the USA represents today. Uncle Sam was ingratiated into the American mind-set during the Roosevelt administration when the icon helped sell Congress, the press, and the voters on the New Deal to pull the nation out of the depression.
The Uncle Sam icon has been reproduced in various forms by protesters of American foreign policy. A Vietnam War-era poster depicts Uncle Sam, hat tucked under his left arm with his right hand popping out as if begging for help, head bandaged and bloody, cloths disheveled and torn, with a caption that reads, "I Want Out." Likewise, the endearing icon Uncle Sam is a name adopted by Nigerian journalist and patriot Uncle Sam Amuka Pemu. He is a unifying force after the struggle for independence and in an age of tribal hatred and divisiveness.
The Uncle Sam icon evolved over the years. The top hat had feathers at one point. It has remained constant as a symbol of American ideals struggling to perfect a political and cultural system based on freedom, equality with liberty and justice for all. The beloved pictures of Uncle Sam supplemented wars of words with pictures in support of government policies or to change the course of history. He became the iconic figure in a variety of media.
Bibliography
American Antiquarian Society. "Proceedings of the American Antiquarian Society." Vol. 19: (1909). Print.
Bell, Danna. "Uncle Sam: American Symbol, American Icon." U.S. Library of Congress. July 1, 2014. Web. 12 Jan. 2016. <http://blogs.loc.gov/teachers/2014/07/uncle-sam-american-symbol-american-icon/>.
Bush, L. "Humor on Pause: How Political Cartoonists Satirize Tragedy." Mass Communication & Journalism 5. 3 (2015). Web. 12 Jan. 2016. <http://www.omicsgroup.org/journals/humor-on-pause-how-political-cartoonists-satirize-tragedy-2165-7912-1000249.pdf>.
Darnell, Steve. Uncle Sam: Deluxe Edition. New York: Vertigo. 2009. Print.
Elder, Natalie. "Uncle Sam: The man and the Meme." National Museum of American History. 13 Sept. 2013. Web. 12 Jan. 2016. <http://americanhistory.si.edu/blog/2013/09/uncle-sam-the-man-and-the-meme-the-origins-of-uncle-sam.html>.
Minear, Richard H. Dr. Seuss Goes to War: the World War II Editorial Cartoons of Theodore Seuss Geisel. New York: New Press, 1999. Print.
Morgan, Winifred. An American Icon: Brother Jonathan and American Identity. Newark: University of Delaware Press, 1988. Print.
Reiser, Klaus, et al. (Editors). Configuring America: Iconic Figures, Visuality, and the American Identity. Bristol, UK: Intellect, 2013. Print.
Schooner, Thomas. Uncle Sam’s War of 1898 and the Origins of Globalization. Lexington, KY: The University Press of Kentucky, 2003. Print.