Do you know the Real Uncle Sam? Where’d Uncle Sam Come From?

Yankee Doodle Dandy…

We all know about Uncle Sam from posters or patriotic songs.

Do you know the real Uncle Sam?

Samuel Wilson was born in 1766 in Massachusetts.
At the age of 8 he became a drummer boy
At 14 he fought against the British in the Revolutionary War.

In 1812 Wilson moved to Troy, New York and opened a meat packing company.
His kind nature in his community earned Wilson the nickname Uncle Sam.

During the war of 1812, Wilson’s company provided meat for soldiers which which he labeled” U.S.”

When government inspectors questioned a worrker about the label, he jokingly reported that it stood for his employer Uncle Sam.

The abbreviation U.S. was later adopted by our government and stamped on supplies.

The association of government supplies and Uncle Sam remained and eventually Uncle Sam became a symbol of service to our country.