Show ancla sam the application of tho the term uncle sam to the united states had its beginning in troy N Y during the war ot of 1812 A commission contractor ot of troy named elbert anderson had a shop in which the stocks were always alway 11 examined and passed iby a government inspector called samuel wilson who was waa generally known as aa undo sam when the boxes were passed they thay were always marked with tho the initials of the contractor and the nation one day the man who was doing tho the marking was asked what the initials stood blood for and replica jokingly that they were tho the initials ot of the contractor and of undo uncle sam the joke spread among the men got into print and long before the end of the war had become known all over the upun country mr wilson the original uncle sam am died in troy in 1854 |