On September 7, 1813, according to the most cited—and
Congressionally approved—account, the United States
got its nickname, Uncle Sam.
The name is linked to Samuel Wilson, a meat packer from
Troy, New York, who supplied barrels of beef to the United
States Army during the War of 1812.
Wilson (1766-1854) stamped the barrels with “U.S.” for United
States. But because Wilson was known locally as "Uncle Sam,"
soldiers began referring to the grub as “Uncle Sam’s.”
The local newspaper, the Troy Post, picked up on the story
and Uncle Sam eventually gained widespread acceptance
as the nickname for—and personification of—the U.S.
federal government.
Scholars have uncovered a handful of earlier references
linking the U.S. to the nickname Uncle Sam, but the Troy
Post origin story has stuck as the official one.
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