The Portrayal of Uncle Sam’s Image in the U.S.’s World War I Propaganda Posters
Rebecca Shogren
University of Mary Washington
History 299: Intro to Historical Studies
Professor Nabil al-Tikriti
I hereby declare upon my honor that I have
neither given nor received any unauthorized
help on this work.
Shogren |1
The poster was first introduced as a major propagandistic tool during World War
I.1 Posters were used to recruit, encourage resourcefulness, and to keep morale high,
among other things. Perhaps the most famous of these early posters is the “I Want
You” Poster staring Uncle Sam which was created in 1917. The conception of Uncle
Sam as an image, or as a symbol for the United States was in 1832.2 This poster took
an idea that was over 80 years old and put a new twist, and face, on Uncle Sam. With
this new, primarily visual, form of propaganda, propagandists pioneered new ways to
propagandize (often in color). What better way to examine this new concept than
through the examination of one of the most depicted characters to symbolize the United
States. How was Uncle Sam’s image used in this new form of propaganda? Was
Uncle Sam used to appeal primarily to men or women, or possibly both? Was he
depicted doing ‘manly’ things, or was he a jack of all trades, so to speak? This
researcher found that the image of Uncle Sam was kept to ‘normal’ human proportions
when being used for recruitment or the encouragement of saving and funding, but had
super human height when being used to boost morale; .he was used to affect both men
and women, though he nearly always took a quite ‘masculine’ or soldierly role, or at the
very least made allusions to the soldiers he was supposedly representing.
Uncle Sam is most definitely a gendered character and, as Elizabeth McKillen
shows in her article, ideas of masculinity were often used in propaganda during World
War I.3 She states that the pro-military propagandists during the First World War used
Steve Baker, “Describing Images of the National Self: Popular Accounts of the Construction of
Pictorial Identity in the First World War Poster,” Oxford Art Journal 13, no. 2 (1990): 24.
2 Thomas H. Bivins, “The Body Politic: The Changing Shape of Uncle Sam,” Journalism Quarterly
64, no. 1 (1987):13
3 Elizabeth McKillen, “Pacifist Brawn and Silk-Stocking Militarism: Labor, Gender, and Antiwar
Politics, 1914-1918,” Peace & Change 33, no. 3 (Jul2008): 388-425. In her article, McKillen makes an
interesting point about definitions of masculinity. There is more than one definition and those definitions
1
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the soldier as the ideal of masculinity.4 That ideal of masculinity was seen in almost
every poster in which Uncle Sam appeared during the First World War. Uncle Sam was
often shown in the role of reminding people of the soldiers at war. He was, in effect, the
embodiment of the U.S. soldiers at war in most of the posters. None of the posters
examined showed Uncle Sam as effeminate in any way. The posters issued by portions
of the U.S. government during the war were pro-military, and thus made Uncle Sam’s
masculinity stem, at least to some extent, from his association with the U.S. soldiers
fighting the war.
Thomas H. Bivins’ article examines the image of Uncle Sam from his conception
in 1832 through the 1980’s. Bivins compares the size of the image’s head to its body in
order to judge the height and size portrayed by the illustrator. This is a technique
commonly used when examining cartoons. This technique allows one to realistically
compare the height and size of different images.5 Using this technique, Bivins
examines the trends in portrayals of Uncle Sam.6 In his article, Bivins mentions Uncle
Sam from World War I only to give his one example of an Uncle Sam with a ‘normal’
physique (In the “I Want You” poster).7
Taking a page from Bivins’ article, I compared the heads of Uncle Sams in
posters from World War I to their features as well as to the rest of their bodies.8 In
doing so, I found that most of the posters from World War I that showed Uncle Sam,
sometimes conflict. The article mostly focuses on the use of feminine and masculine ideals by both prowar and pro-peace groups. One group said it was masculine to fight while another insisted that joining
the army took away masculinity because it took away autonomy (because the soldiers had to follow
orders).
4 McKillen, 388.
5 Bivins,13-14
6 Bivins, 19-20.
7 Bivins, 16.
8 For a visual representation of this technique, and for images of any posters mentioned, see the
Appendix.
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portrayed him to be within half a head of what Bivins considers normal physique
(between 6 and 6.5 heads in height). Of the twelve posters examined, only three were
outside of the 1.5 heads of the aforesaid range. Each of these three was on the tall side
of normal, rather than the short.
Of those images used for recruitment, none were of an abnormal size. Perhaps
this normality was a way to increase recruitment. An image of a ‘normal’ person
requesting or telling a viewer to do something will make a greater connection with that
viewer. An image of a ‘normal’ sized person doing an act has more of a chance of
inciting the bandwagon effect than an unrealistically tall and skinny or short and fat
person has.9 If a viewer sees a person who looks inhuman, she can easily think that
since the image is inhuman, there is no way she can do what the image is doing.
Perhaps this bandwagon effect is what the artists and committee members who created
the posters wanted to elicit.
Arguably the most famous World War I poster, and the one mentioned in Bivins’
article,10 is the “I Want You for the U.S. Army” poster in which Uncle Sam is pointing
straight out of the poster at the viewer. As Bivins states,11 the Uncle Sam in this poster
is approximately 6.5 heads tall, making him seem like a normal person. Perhaps the
propagandists thought that having a normal image telling people to enlist was more
likely to have effect than a muscular image or an especially tall image. Each of the
latter two might imply that the Army was looking for a specific type of person, or, at the
9
The bandwagon affect is the idea that everyone else is doing it so I should as well. This is a
common tool in propaganda even today. Look at commercials on TV and notice how some will show
many people using or buying the product. This is the same idea which was used explicitly in the poster
labeled “Preserve” which will be discussed later. An army of women are preserving fruits and vegetables.
The clear message is ‘join them.’
10 Bivins, 16.
11 Bivins, 16.
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least, allow the viewer to separate himself from the image by thinking that he did not
look anything like the image, and therefore could not be what the poster was meant to
produce.12
In another poster, a slightly yellowed copy of the “I Want You” Uncle Sam is
placed beside words calling for men to answer the first call of recruitment for the Navy.13
I would submit that this image of Uncle Sam is designed to do the same things in the
same way that the “I Want You” Uncle Sam was designed to do. He is a human being
representing a large group of people and calling for other humans to join the military.
The only real difference between this poster and the “I Want You” poster is the text.
This text pulls more heavily on the bandwagon effect by saying that “Our Country will be
proudest of those who answered the first call.” Be a member of this group, is what the
poster is saying.
In a third recruitment poster, an Uncle Sam who is 7 heads tall shakes the hand
of a woman who has brought a man (implication being husband or son) to enlist in the
Navy. This Uncle Sam has his head bowed and seems to be thanking the woman.14 In
this poster, Uncle Sam’s normal size may be an attempt to highlight the humanity in the
government as well as the idea that he would work to bring the men back – him being
so human.
The final enlistment poster examined has an image of Uncle Sam pulling up his
sleeves as if he is about to get to work. The caption says “Something doing boys!
12 The poster I measured came from: Posters of World Wars I and II, Mineola, New York: Dover
Publications, Inc., 2005: poster # 001
13 Walton Rawls, Wake Up, America!: World War I and the American Poster, New York: Abbeville
Publishing Group (1988), 13. A copy of this image can be found on page 10 (in the appendix).
14 Posters of World Wars I and II, Poster #011. A copy of this image can be found on page 11 (in
the appendix).
Shogren |5
Uncle Sam’s on the bridge. ENLIST.”15 This poster suggests that when Uncle Sam is
working, the rest of the citizens of his country should be working as well. It also
suggests that those who join the Navy will be led by strong leaders (given the strength
evident in this particular image of Uncle Sam). This image of Uncle Sam is about 6
heads tall, and not greatly muscular, but he does seem relatively well built.
Each of these enlistment posters depicts a normal sized Uncle Sam who is in
some way a leader. Whether he is pointing for you to enlist, pulling up his sleeves to
get to work or thanking a woman for her husband, he is doing some act of leadership
and yet is still emphasized as being at least somewhat normal. This attempt to make
Uncle Sam seem like he could be a real human may have been an attempt to increase
recruitment by implying that there would be good leaders – human leaders.
Of the other posters with Uncle Sam in them, each is either calling for the support
of the population of the country or trying to boost morale. All but one of these posters
has some sort of direct military imagery wrapped up in it. The one that does not has
two children listening to Uncle Sam, one sitting on his lap. This image makes a more
subtle reference to the soldiers. Uncle Sam is acting as a father figure to these
children, and many of the children of the country’s fathers were at war. In this poster,
Uncle Sam tells the children that “You can help your Uncle Sam Win the war.”16 So,
while the imagery is not obviously related to soldiers, it sort of sneaks into the
connection with the image, though more strongly with the words. Uncle Sam is the one
who will win the war, thus he must be a soldier.
15
Posters of World Wars I and II, Poster #017. A copy of this image can be found on page 11 (in
the appendix).
16 Rawls, 216. A copy of this image can be found on page 12 (in the appendix).
Shogren |6
Uncle Sam’s image was commonly used to encourage the population to save
materials. Posters to this effect that can be found in Walton Rawls’ book Wake Up!
America includes one that simply says “Preserve,”17 and one that will henceforth be
called “I am telling you” from the first few words that appear on the poster.18 Uncle
Sam’s image in the “Preserve” poster carries two baskets of fruits as he leads a literal
army of women. He is without his jacket, vest and hat, which easily suggests that he
has been working. This 7 heads tall man seems like a working man, and tells the
women of the nation to support him (and the troops he represents) by saving food. The
normality of this Uncle Sam may very well be an attempt to remind women of their
fathers, brothers, husbands and sons who are fighting in the War.19 The “I am telling
you” poster shows an image of a 6.5 heads tall Uncle Sam with hands on hips,
admonishing the viewer to save in order to back up his army.20 The facial expression
and the placement of the hands in this image suggest that he is not happy with what
has happened in the past, and expects the people of the nation to do their part for the
war effort. The poster mentioned earlier with the children sitting on Uncle Sam’s lap
encouraged children to save their quarters to “Buy War Savings Stamps.” Uncle Sam’s
image was often used in attempts to get people in the U.S. to save, scrimp, and fund
the war effort.
Images of Uncle Sam that were used to help boost morale consisted of the three
images of Uncle Sam that were of an above average height. Each of these images was
17
Rawls, 122. A copy of this image can be found on page 12 (in the appendix).
Rawls, 215.
19 Rawls, 122.
20 Rawls, 215. A copy of this image can be found on page 12 (in the appendix).
18
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between 8 and 9 heads tall.21 Perhaps that was to aide in the belief that things would
work out, the Allies’ cause was good. In his article, Bivins mentions that the tall and
skinny Uncle Sam was based on President Abraham Lincoln.22 If the posters
succeeded in making the population think that Lincoln would have been on their side, or
that their leaders were Lincoln-esque, than that would have given a major boost to the
morale of the population, even if the idea was not a conscious thought in the minds of
the people.
During World War I, the production of posters boomed. The image of Uncle Sam
in these posters was almost always of ‘normal’ height and stature. The image was also
always in a role that reminded the viewer of the soldiers at the front. Whether the
poster spoke to men, women, or children, Uncle Sam was connected to the soldiers and
was used to remind the viewer of said soldiers. With the soldiers on the mind, perhaps
the viewers would do what was ‘right’ (at least as Uncle Sam saw it).
21
Rawls, 107 & 188. Posters of World Wars I and II, poster #057. Examples of images for morale
purposes are on page 13.
22 Bivins, 15.
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Works Cited
Baker, Steve. “Describing Images of the National Self: Popular Accounts of the
Construction of Pictorial Identity in the First World War Poster.” Oxford Art
Journal 13, no. 2 (1990): 24-30.
Bivins, Thomas H. “The Body Politic: the Changing Shape of Uncle Sam.” Journalism
Quarterly 64, no. 1 (1987): 13-20.
Encore Editions. World War I and World War II Posters, Prints, and Canvas
Reproductions. http://store.encore-editions.com/Artists/WWPosters.html.
(accessed 11/30/2009).
Flickr.com. Send Off Day to the New York National Guard 1917.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/joan_thewlis/3389444488/. (accessed 11/30/2009).
Image Envision.com. Royalty Free Uncle Sam Stock Illustrations.
http://www.imageenvision.com/illustrations/uncle-sam. (accessed 11/30/2009).
McKillen, Elizabeth. “Pacifist Brawn and Silk-Stocking Militarism: Labor, Gender, and
Antiwar Politics, 1914-1918.” Peace & Change 33, no. 3 (Jul 2008): 388-425.
Posters of World Wars I and II. Mineola, New York: Dover Publications, Inc., 2005.
Rare Posters.com. U.S. World War One Posters: Bonds: War Savings Stamps, W.S.S.
http://www.rare-posters.com/653.html. (accessed 11/30/2009).
Rawls, Walton. Wake Up, America!: World War I and the American Poster. New York:
Abbeville Publishing Group, 1988.
Soldiers: The Drive to Recruit.
http://web.viu.ca/davies/H482.WWI/soldiers.the.drive.to.recruit.images.htm.
(accessed 11/30/2009).
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Appendix
How to measure height:
1. Encore Editions + Rebecca Shogren edits
S h o g r e n | 10
Images:
Recruitment:
2. Encore Editions
3. Soldiers
S h o g r e n | 11
4. Encore Editions
5. Encore Editions
S h o g r e n | 12
Savings and Investment for War:
6. Rare posters.com
7. Image Envision.com
8. Rawls, 122.
S h o g r e n | 13
Morale:
9. Encore Editions
10. flikr.com