Uncle Sam And Old Glory Symbols Of America

by West, Delno C.; West, Jean M.; Manson, Christopher

• ISBN13: 9780689820434
• ISBN10: 0689820437
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2000-02-01
• Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers

Summary

Have you ever wondered why the American colors are red, white, and blue? Did you know that our national mascot was almost a turkey rather than a bald eagle? Can you trace your family's ancestry back to theMayflowerPilgrims, or perhaps to a cowboy of the Old West? Do you think you would like to spend Thanksgiving watching footraces rather than televised football or eating venison and oysters rather than turkey? Many of us have played with Lincoln Logs, but did you know that they were named after President Abraham Lincoln, who was born in a log cabin?Symbols have always played a crucial role in shaping our identity as a country. The American buffalo, the Statue of Liberty, theMayflower,and Uncle Sam himself have all helped convey to the world the American values of liberty and democracy.Delno and Jean West's lively prose unveils the stories behind America's symbols, complemented by Christopher Manson's handsome woodcuts, which perfectly convey the rugged individualism of the American spirit.

Author Biography

Delno C. West taught history at Northern Arizona University at Flagstaff. He was the author of seven books and fifty articles for both scholarly and general readers and was a popular lecturer and guest speaker. He enjoyed travel, collecting antiquarian books and glass art, and spending time with his grandchildren.

Table of Contents

Introduction	7	(4)
The American Flag	11	(1)
The Great Seal of The United States	12	(3)
The American Bald Eagle	15	(1)
The Liberty Bell	16	(3)
The Statue of Liberty	19	(1)
Uncle Sam	20	(3)
Yankee Doodle	23	(1)
The Mayflower	24	(3)
The Pilgrim	27	(1)
The Peace Pipe	28	(3)
The Minuteman	31	(1)
The Log Cabin	32	(3)
The Buffalo	35	(1)
The Cowboy	36	(3)
Smokey the Bear	39	(1)
For Further Reading	40

Excerpts

UNCLE SAM

Perhaps you've seen him in parades or at a Fourth of July picnic. He sometimes appears at patriotic gatherings clad in a long blue coat, a vest, and red and white striped trousers. He normally wears a beard and a tall striped and starred hat, and he appears to be dressed to look like the American flag. Who is he? He is "Uncle Sam," a cartoon symbol for the United States of America.

There is much debate about who Uncle Sam was and how the symbol came to be. The first mention of him was in a Troy, New York, newspaper article that appeared on September 7, 1813. It seems that a certain meat-processing plant owner named Sam Wilson began stamping the meat sold to the United States Army during the War of 1812 with the letters "U.S." The meatpackers at his plant called Sam Wilson "Uncle Sam," and the story was that the initials "U.S." really stood for "Uncle Sam" Wilson rather than "United States." The nickname stuck, and from then on everything belonging to the United States government began to be called "Uncle Sam's." Soon, cartoonists latched on to this idea, and they began drawing varieties of Uncle Sam in political cartoons. The most famous depictions of Uncle Sam were on World War I and World War II military recruiting posters. Today, no patriotic gathering would be complete without an appearance by someone dressed as Uncle Sam.

Text copyright © 2000 by Delno C. West and Jean M. West

Illustrations copyright © 2000 by Christopher Manson

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Excerpted from Uncle Sam and Old Glory by Delno C. West, Jean M. West
All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.