3. Samuel Wilson aka “Uncle Sam”
Made famous as the figure on iconic political posters most may not realize that “Uncle Sam” was a real person!
Born in 1766, Wilson was a meat packer supplying troops during the War of 1812. Shipments went out stamped “U.S.” (United States) but soldiers joked that it stood for “Uncle Sam”.
Wilson was photographed sometime in the 1850’s.