We’re all familiar with Uncle Sam, the iconic military recruiter, who glowers at the viewer inducing him (or her) to sign up or be considered an unpatriotic wimp. But not many people seem to realize he has a female counterpart named Columbia.
Uncle Sam came into being around the time of the War of 1812 while Columbia originated about a century earlier. It was not unusual back in the day to have female personifications of various nations; Britannia for England, Marianne for France, Germania for Germany. Her evolution was a complex one and various images of her often are eerily reminiscent of the current super-hero Wonder Woman. A cartoon by Thomas Nast shows her sitting at the opposite end of the table from Uncle Sam. Note the starred epaulets and the Wonder Woman-like tiara.
Or this one. Definitely not a lady to argue with!
One wonders if William Marston had this image in mind when he created the iconic super-hero Wonder Woman.
Now comes the question. What happened to Columbia? Why don’t we hear about her anymore? She was a frequent figure seen in World War One propaganda posters, boosting victory gardens,
or blood donations.
Or even just advertising the latest gimmick for the kitchen.
One likely reason is that she began being seen by people as an antiquated figure, no longer relevant to the views American people had of themselves. By the time World War Two rolled around, it was largely macho Uncle Sam rolling up his sleeves to give the Nazis a pounding. The newer image of Lady Liberty pushed aside the older image of Columbia. About all she seemed to do is hold her torch high and look noble.
Given that Columbia and Uncle Sam were sometimes portrayed as a couple, my own secret personal theory is that they had a falling-out, probably over that floozy from England he was occasionally seen traipsing around with.
I’m sure she didn’t think much of that! Can you imagine what the neighbors were saying? So, no surprise, there was an unpleasant break-up and Columbia departed the public eye for the most part.
Now, in light of recent events, it is high time she made a reappearance. I think the depiction of Liberty, best known as the Statue of Liberty, actually fits in very well with the idea of Columbia as a symbol not just of Liberty but the ideals of equality, respect, justice and plain old-fashioned common sense. While all the partisan bickering and hysterical rhetoric has occupied people’s attention, this figure has stood quiet and unnoticed in the background. A number of state capitol buildings have a variety of Liberty-like figures on or near them.
There’s a statue of the Liberty figure atop the Capitol Building in Washington itself as shown above.
There’s no reason why this figure can’t be merged back with the symbol of Columbia. All the illustrations of Columbia show a wide variety of aspects. She wears many hats and can adjust as the circumstances call for. How many people have noticed that the Statue of Liberty in New York is lifting her right foot after taking a step forward? She’s not just standing there immobile. She’s in motion. Or that there are broken shackles at her feet, representing the banning of slavery? Given how times have changed, the solitary, static form of Uncle Sam is no longer enough. If anything, it’s throwing things out of balance.
It’s important to remember that Uncle Sam represents the government while Columbia represents the nation itself. We’ve lost half of the equation showing who we are by not having Columbia up and front with Uncle Sam. What good is it to ‘make America great again’ if you don’t include honor, integrity and respect? Have Columbia symbolize not just Liberty but arbitration and reconcilation. Have her serve as a means to quell the volcanic, spittal spraying ranting by both sides of the aisle and get them actually talking again.
Let this be the face we look for while we pull ourselves back together again.