What Happened in History: Browse Historical Facts on Kudos 365

The U.S. Receives The Nickname 'Uncle Sam". During the War of 1812, Samuel Wilson, a meat packer from Troy, New York. was one of the suppliers to the U. S. Army. He labeled his barrels of beef with “U.S.” to indicate U.S. government property, but soldiers referred to the “U.S.” as Uncle Sam (Wilson). On September 7, 1813, a local newspaper picked up the story which eventually led to the widespread use of the nickname. Congress passed a resolution in 1961 that recognized Samuel Wilson as the inspiration for the symbol Uncle Sam.