▁Independ ence , ▁July ▁ 4 , ▁ 1 7 7 6 . ▁The ▁statue ▁is ▁an ▁icon ▁of ▁freedom ▁and ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States : ▁a ▁wel coming ▁signal ▁to ▁imm igr ants ▁arriv ing ▁from ▁abroad . ▁ ▁Uncle ▁Sam ▁( initial s ▁U . S .) ▁is ▁a ▁common ▁national ▁person ification ▁of ▁the ▁American ▁government ▁and ▁came ▁into ▁use ▁during ▁the ▁War ▁of ▁ 1 8 1 2 . ▁According ▁to ▁legend , ▁Samuel ▁Wilson , ▁a ▁meat ▁pack er ▁in ▁New ▁York , ▁supplied ▁r ations ▁for ▁the ▁soldiers ▁and ▁stamp ed ▁the ▁letters ▁U . S . ▁on ▁the ▁boxes , ▁which ▁stood ▁for ▁United ▁States ▁but ▁was ▁j ok ingly ▁said ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁initial s ▁of ▁Uncle ▁Sam . ▁An ▁Uncle ▁Sam ▁is ▁mentioned ▁as ▁early ▁as ▁ 1 7 7 5 , ▁in ▁the ▁original ▁" Y an kee ▁Do od le " ▁lyr ics ▁of ▁the ▁Revolution ary ▁War ▁. ▁The ▁earliest ▁known ▁person ification ▁of ▁what ▁would ▁become ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁was ▁" Col umb ia ", ▁who ▁first ▁appeared ▁in ▁ 1 7 3 8 ▁and ▁sometimes ▁was ▁associated ▁with ▁liberty . ▁With ▁the ▁American ▁Revolution ary ▁War ▁came ▁" Bro ther ▁Jonathan " ▁as ▁another ▁person ification ▁and ▁finally ▁after ▁the ▁War ▁of ▁ 1 8 1 2 ▁Uncle ▁Sam ▁appeared . ▁ ▁Other ▁Cultural ▁I cons ▁include , ▁Ros ie ▁the ▁Riv eter , ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Constitution , ▁the ▁Col t ▁Single ▁Action ▁Army , ▁Sm o key