During the War of 1812, when a meatpacker from Troy, New York, began sending provisions packed in barrels (stamped U.S.) to the American army little did he know he would become an iconic image to last forever. His name was Samuel Wilson (September 13, 1766 – July 31, 1854) and barrels of beef he sent to the soldiers were actually property of the United States but the soldiers, knowing who was sending the food, began kidding that it came from Uncle Sam. Finally, on September 15, 1961, the United States Congress adopted the following resolution: Resolved by the Senate and the House of Representatives that the Congress salutes Uncle Sam Wilson of Troy, New York, as the progenitor of America’s National symbol of Uncle Sam.

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