Uncle Sam (initials U.S.) is a common national personification of the American government that, according to legend, came into use during the War of 1812.
Legend says Sam Wilson was a meat packer in New York, who supplied rations for the soldiers. They had to stamp their contractors name and where the rations were coming from, onto the food they were sending. On the package, it was labeled “EA – US”. When someone asked what that stood for, a coworker joked and said “Elbert Anderson (the contractor) and Uncle Sam,” referring to Sam Wilson, though it actually stood for United States.
The well-known “recruitment” image of Uncle Sam was created by James Montgomery Flagg in 1917. It was this image more than any other that set the appearance of Uncle Sam as the elderly man with white hair and a goatee wearing a top hat with red and white stripes and white stars on a blue band, and red and white striped trousers. This image was used as a poster to encourage recruitment in the United States Army during World War I. It showed Uncle Sam pointing at the viewer with the caption “I Want YOU for U.S. Army”. Over four million copies of the poster were printed during World War I, and it was revived for World War II.
📖 Vocabulary / Vocabulario
| English | Español |
|---|---|
| Personification | Personificación |
| Legend | Leyenda |
| Rations | Raciones |
| Contractor | Contratista |
| Recruitment | Reclutamiento |
| Elderly | Anciano |
| Top hat | Sombrero de copa |
| Goatee | Perilla |
| Caption | Leyenda (de una imagen o póster) |
🤔 Comprehension Questions / Preguntas de Comprensión
Responde en tu cuaderno con tus propias palabras según lo que leíste en el texto:
- Who was Sam Wilson, and how is he related to the legend of Uncle Sam?
- What does the label “EA – US” actually stand for?
- Who created the famous recruitment image of Uncle Sam, and when?
- How did the image of Uncle Sam influence army recruitment during World War I and II?
- What are some distinctive features of Uncle Sam’s appearance?
✏️ Fill in the Blanks / Completa los espacios en blanco
- Uncle Sam is a national __________ of the American government.
- The label “EA – US” was originally meant to stand for __________.
- The famous Uncle Sam recruitment image was created in the year __________.
- Uncle Sam is depicted as an __________ man with a __________ and a __________ hat.
- The recruitment poster was widely used during __________ and was later revived for __________.
🎓 Discussion Questions / Preguntas de Discusión
- Do you think national personifications, like Uncle Sam, influence patriotism? Why or why not?
- How do recruitment posters like the “I Want YOU” image impact public perception of the military?
- Can you think of other countries with similar national personifications? What do they represent?
✍️ Bonus: Creative Writing! / ¡Escritura Creativa!
Imagine you are a journalist in 1917 writing an article about the new Uncle Sam recruitment poster. Write a short paragraph describing its impact and how people might react to it.
Answers:
- personification
- United States
- 1917
- elderly, goatee, top
- World War I, World War II