Who Is Uncle Sam?
Uncle Sam has been a symbol of the United States for more than 150 years. The first drawings of
Uncle Sam appeared in the 1830s. For many years, his appearance took many forms. By the 1860s,
drawings of Uncle Sam became more alike. Most pictures show a tall, thin man with a white beard. He is
dressed in a waistcoat, striped pants, and a top hat with a band of stars.
Uncle Sam was actually based on a real person. He was a meat packer from Troy, New York. His
name was Samuel Wilson, but everyone called him Uncle Sam. During the War of 1812, Wilson supplied
meat to U.S. Army troops stationed near Troy. He stamped the letters U.S. on each wooden barrel of
beef and pork. Soldiers thought the initials stood for Uncle Sam. The letters, however, were actually the
abbreviation for the United States. Soon, Uncle Sam became the term for anything referring to the
United States.
4. What is the main idea of the first paragraph?
a. Uncle Sam has been a U.S. symbol for over 150 years.
b. Uncle Sam is a tall, thin, bearded man.
c. The first drawings of Uncle Sam appeared in the 1830s.
d. For many years, Uncle Sam had different appearances.

5. What is the main idea of paragraph 2?
a. Uncle Sam was from Troy.
b. Wilson sold meat to the U.S. Army.
c. Uncle Sam was based on a real person.
d. The letters U.S. stood for Uncle Sam.

6. What is the report mostly about?
a. Symbols of the United States
b. One of our nation’s oldest symbols
c. What Uncle Sam looked like
d. The real Uncle Sam

7. Which of these is another good title for the report?
a. “Uncle Sam’s Costume”
b. “American Symbols”
c. “Uncle Sam Wilson”
d. “The History of Uncle Sam”