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Break from the Grind September 21, 2021
TUESDAY TRIVIA: How Did the U.S. Get the Nickname ‘Uncle Sam’
A recruitment poster for the military during World War I depicts the U.S. as an elderly man with finger pointed and the words, ‘I want you.’
Reported by PS
How did the U.S. get the nickname “Uncle Sam?”
The name comes from Samuel Wilson, a meat packer from Troy, New York, who supplied barrels of beef to the Army during the War of 1812.
The barrels were stamped with “U.S.” for United States, but soldiers began referring to the supplies as “Uncle Sam’s.”
A newspaper reported that as a story, leading to “Uncle Sam” gaining widespread acceptance as the nickname for the U.S.