9781422287583

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This newspaper drawing of Uncle Sam sitting in a rocking chair dates to around 1830. It is one of the first images of the popular character. Over the years, Uncle Sam grew older and his characteristic white beard and star-spangled clothes were added.

M ost Americans, whether they are veterans of the armed services, children who laugh at a stilt- walker in an Independence Day parade, or readers of political cartoons in the newspapers, are familiar with the image of Uncle Sam: the elderly yet spry patriot with the white whiskers who favors top hats, striped pants, and morning coats decorated with the stars and stripes. However, few Americans are aware that Uncle Sam owes his story to the customs of the meat packing business in upstate New York, and to a joke made by a stockyard worker. The story begins in Mason, New Hampshire, where Edward and Lucy Wilson had moved their family after the Revolutionary War. Edward took up farming. Uncle Sam Comes to Troy

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