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Brother Jonathan and friends

Brother Jonathan and friends published on No Comments on Brother Jonathan and friends

The U.S. is particularly rich in national personifications.  Uncle Sam and Lady Liberty are well known to most of us, but what about Columbia and Brother Jonathan?

Brother Jonathan in striped pants, somber overcoat, and Lincolnesque stove-pipe hat, as drawn by Thomas Nast.
Columbia wearing a warship bearing the words “World Power” as her “Easter bonnet” (cover of Puck, April 6, 1901).

Brother Jonathan, representing New England, came into use during the war for independence and would eventually be supplanted by Uncle Sam who would later represent the entire nation, rather than just the government.

Columbia, representative of the 13 colonies was in use since the 1730, and only fell out of use around WW I when images of Lady Liberty were more common.

Johnny Reb, it should be no surprise, arose during the Civil war along with his counterpart Billy Yank.

We’ve got a whole family of characters; I am almost inspired to do a family reunion comic.  It could be reminiscent of Hetalia, ’cause I love that show, but not WW II based.

 

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