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From: kreme@netcom.com (Cerebus The Aardvark)
Subject: Re: Get Down to Brass Tacks [was: Re: Burning Houses for Nails]
Message-ID: <kremeDMv4Gn.1wG@netcom.com>
Organization: Nyx, the spirit of the Night (telent nyx.cs.du.edu)
References: <4e90tp$82k@decaxp.harvard.edu> <dlawsonDLsqH9.Cuy@netcom.com> <4es0ol$2ie@nezsdc.fujitsu.co.nz> <4f3ved$2ic4@news.doit.wisc.edu> <4f6eog$ent@gazette.tandem.com> <kremeDMEFHI.969@netcom.com> <4fqbja$969@whitbeck.ncl.ac.uk>
Date: Fri, 16 Feb 1996 09:45:59 GMT
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Andy Holden <A.B.Holden@ncl.ac.uk> writes:
>kreme@netcom.com (Cerebus The Aardvark) wrote:

>>"Uncle Sam,"  The origin stories with this one are wide and varied.  I
>>think it most likely arose merely from the letters "US"

> I saw a T.V. programme where this was said to be the case, almost - it 
>was said to come from the word "us", written on items belonging to a 
>particular group of people*, but before the United States came into 
>existence. When the general who had done this was asked what it stood 
>for, he came up with "Uncle Sam".

No. Uncle Sam originates in the early 19th century (180?).  The United
States was founded in 1789 with the ratification of the Constitution and
the election of Geo. Washington as the first president.

> *I'm afraid I don't know who these people were, but I think they were   
>or one of the sides in the American Civil War (if this took place before 
>the United States started to exist).

The American Civil War dates from 1861-1865, long after Uncle Sam came into
use.


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