Brother Jonathan
Brother Jonathan is an allegorical figure conceived to personify the the United States as a whole at the first times of the existence of the American nation.
In the political drawings and the patriotic posters, Brother Jonathan was usually represented like the typical revolutionary American, with Tricorne and long military jacket. Between 1776 and 1783, Brother Jonathan was a somewhat pejorative name used by the Loyaliste S to designate the patriots at the time of the war of independence.
According to the popular etymology, the name of Brother Jonathan would have been derived from that of Jonathan Trumbull (1710-1785), governor of the Connecticut. George Washington would have often said: “It is necessary to consult Brother Jonathan” when it was confronted with a difficult question. But this origin was refuted.
The character of Brother Jonathan was often represented for the period ranging between 1783 and 1815. He was little by little replaced by female personification, Columbia, and especially by Uncle Sam, was popularized during the Guerre of 1812, initially in the newspapers between 1813 and 1815, then in a book in 1816.
The name of Brother Jonathan continued however to be used during the American Civil War under various alternatives, such as in the popular song When Johnny Comes Marching Home . One finds also the name Johnny Rebel, which designated a confederated soldier.
Representations at the 19th century
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