Uncle Sam
Candlefocus EditorThe origins of Uncle Sam can be traced back to the War of 1812 when the U.S. Army used a red, white, and blue barrel to store meat labeled with the initials, “U.S.” It is believed that soldiers began referring to the barrel, and therefore the Army, as “Uncle Sam.” Over time, Uncle Sam became an iconic symbol of the United States and its government, coming to represent the idea of America as a whole.
Uncle Sam has been invoked in many ways, from recruiting propaganda posters from World War I to today's popular culture. In the U.S., Uncle Sam has become inseparable from the Internal Revenue Service, which collects taxes from American citizens and large corporations. The most popular depiction of Uncle Sam, is a poster of him pointing a finger in the words, “I Want YOU,” used for military recruitment campaigns.
Although Uncle Sam is a personification of the United States federal government, he is sometimes used in relation to other symbols of the United States, including Lady Liberty and Columbia, which symbolizes the United States as a nation. Uncle Sam serves as a reminder of the federal government’s role in managing the nation’s affairs and its dedication to defending it. He is an important cultural and political symbol of the United States of America.