Uncle Sam

‘I’m a real life nephew of my Uncle Sam,
Born on the fourth of July’

We all know that the United States of America is affectionately known as Uncle Sam, but do you know why?

Legend has it that, during the war of 1812, Samuel Wilson was a meat inspector in the service of the federal government. His task it was to approve the quality of meat bought by the army. Workers handling barrels of meat stencilled with “US” questioned what the cryptic letters meant. The joke came about  that it stood for Uncle Sam Wilson.

The exact origin is lost in history, but it undoubtedly arose as a joke on the paternal nature of the government. I’ll always remember that humble meat inspector whenever I hear the term Uncle Sam!