What does the term American Indian Represent?

Uncle Sam and Lady Liberty.

The evolution of two central icons in the United States American identity is the focus of Uncle Sam and Lady Liberty: Faces of a Nation,  Lady Liberty, the female counterpart to Uncle Sam has undergone several transformations in identity,clothing, and style.

Long before we had the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor, the Indian Princess symbolized the New World. Over time the Princess became less “native” and more European. Her skin grew lighter, her features became less “Indian,” and her dress was adapted to the mode of the moment.

The French Revolution introduced Liberty as the definitive symbol for the overthrow of oppression, and by the end of the 19th century, Lady Liberty became the undisputed female emblem of the United States – as portrayed bearing the torch of freedom by Auguste Bartholdi in the Statue of Liberty.

As America matured, the image of Columbia was used to symbolize America, and she was usually depicted wearing a red-white-and-blue dress with a star.

In times of war and peace, through prosperity and poverty, the figure of Uncle Sam has been a constant of the American political landscape. Legend has it that “Uncle Sam” was the nickname of Samuel Wilson (1766-1854), head of a meat-packing plant in Troy, New York. Shortly after the War of 1812 began, Wilson and Elbert
Anderson, a federal agent, supplied meat for the troops. The shipping crates were marked “E.A. – U.S.” A workman quipped that it stood for “Uncle Sam” Wilson. The joke quickly circulated among the troops and stuck. (left: James Flagg, Side by Side- Britannia, n.d., Collection of New -York Historical Society)

Uncle Sam was eventually utilized by both the political left and right for different causes, featured in military recruitment posters, and used to sell everything from Ex-Lax to Liberty Bonds. Today the face and name of Uncle Sam is recognized, both at home and abroad, as the face of America.

Studded Crown
Organized by the New -York Historical Society, circulated by Museum
Presentation Association, and drawn from the New -York Historical Society’s collection, the exhibition continues through May 13, 2001.

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