The Truth About Uncle Sam and Calling Americans Yankee 

Special thanks to Melissa Hollick ru-vid.com for singing the British vocals and putting the music together for us. :-) This video brought to you in part by our Patrons over on Patreon. If you’d like to support our efforts here directly, and our continued efforts to improve our videos, as well as do more ultra in-depth long form videos that built in ads and even sponsors don’t always cover fully, check out our Patreon page and perks here: www.patreon.com/TodayIFoundOut And as ever, thanks for watching!

You can't just describe "Nude and Voluptuous Native woman Riding an Armadillo and Brandishing a Tomahawk" and just leave it. Wth man? You gotta tell us how the hell that came about.

Thanks for putting the music in and not just reading the lyrics out load. Adds a lot.

It’s fascinating hearing this version of the origin of “yankee.” I live in the Netherlands, and in Dutch, “Jantje” (Yan-tcha) would mean “little John.” However, I’ve been told by folks here that while “Jan” and “Kees” are both super common Dutch names, they were especially common amongst the poor and working-class Dutch at the time. So the story here, as I’ve learned it, has pretty much been that any person that went to colonize Nieuwe Amsterdam/New York instead of “making their fortune” in the Caribbean, Indonesia, or Bengal (aka, enslaving people in plantations in their much more profitable colonies) were seen, as you said, as backwater hicks. So basically, the Dutch elites in the the Netherlands and in the more profitable colonies considered anyone (of any nationality) who would move to a place as desolate and purposeless as New England must just be so poor, common, and desperate that there was nowhere else they would be wanted. In short, “Jan-Kees” was smooshing together two common names for poor folks at the time as a classist jab at their choice to go to New England. It isn’t too different from this version, but it’s interesting that there are so many variations on legends like this!

I'm very disappointed that Simon didn't whistle along with the tunes. I mean, honor your name, man

That must've been rich- surrendering while Yankee Doodle Dandy played in the background 😂

I recall hearing a story about an American GI from the deep south who was stationed in Britian during WW2. He absolutely hated being call a Yank by the Brits.

I’m from Billerica, Massachusetts. The Yankee Doodle in our area is from Billerica. He was tarred and feathered by the British for some reason. We still have the “Yankee doodle” parade every homecoming Edit: his name was Thomas Ditson Jr. he was a minuteman from town. You can read the story by googling Thomas ditson jr Billerica Ma

Once a friend found himself living in England for a while. When he came back to the US he said, "Usually the British were polite to a fault except they kept calling me a yank"

My daughter heard me playing this video, when the song played she did the barney dance... never noticed the melody is the same.

The armadillo is a tactical assault opossom.

I was just talking about this like an hour before you uploaded it, and wondering where the term Yankee and where Uncle Sam came from. Thanks for clarifying and keep listening to my conversations to teach me more interesting things.

I saw a music site years ago which said the tune was a longtime British song of derision with words adjusted for whoever was the group being ridiculed. It said macaroni was first used in a version composed to ridicule British debutants whose families sent them to Italy to immerse them in the symbols of classical European culture. Macaroni was considered a posh gourmet food then.

I loved the Limey dig on the colonists. Which I assume they sang right up until yankee doodle shuffled out that beatdown at Yorktown.

Uncle Sam and Columbia are also Superheroes from DC Comics !! On the alternate Earth of Earth-10 where the Nazi's won WW2 after a certain Kryptonian landed in Bavaria instead of Kansas...the Freedom Fighters led by Uncle Same opposed him !!

"Native Americans beware of foreign influence" There's irony for you.

The Statue of Liberty was gifted to the United States in 1876, but wasn’t fully assembled until 1886 in October 3rd, of the same year.

Once again you guys astound. However I feel you should know why we Australians refer to an Americas as a Seppo, or Seppos in the plural. It of course is from rhyming slang. The story goes that during WW2 while on shore leave whilst docked in our harbours the America GIs would do as many men do and "chase some skirt." As is today there would be alcohol involved and tall stories told and man would fail their quest and just get drunk. In Australia if you tell tall stories or untruths you are said to be "full of shit." Alcohol also induces courage and diminishes senses, in particular pain in this case. So drunk American soldiers were like tanks, as in they were strong and could take a beating, like tanking in computer games today. Also we're sorta lazy and just add an "O" to the first syllable to make a nickname eg Jonathan becomes Jonno. So the progression is as follows. Yank --> yank tank --> septic tank --> Seppo In effect taking it full circle back to being an insult. Keep up the great content ❤️

What a beautiful voice the singer has ❤

Let us not forget the USMC, Uncle Sam's Misguided Children! Rah

That ancient cartoon you showed at the beginning with the meat shop and sugar cubes running around was really weird. Anyway, my great grandfather on my motherst side was a "Wobbly." He reportedly got chased out of the Midwest to Seattle because of his political activities. This is a point of pride in my family!

Brilliant video - amazing work!

This was hilarious. Etymology of slang terms is fascinating. Definitely check out Stan Freberg’s work. He has a skit specifically on this exact topic spun as a disagreement as to how the song is to be played. The fife player and the drummer want to do it one way and the singer and director wants to do it Uncle Sam’s way. Funny as a crutch! Like listening to Saturday Night Live. Trigger Warning: Period specific biases are often lampooned or embraced because, 60’s.

To the old South mindset the term Yankee didn't just mean Northerner, it was said & meant as a slur with the most derogatory intent possible, even several magnitudes worse than they meant with the n-word towards Blacks. I couldn't hardly believe it when I lived there for four years in the 80's, but yeah.

I live relatively near the real Uncle Sam’s grave in Oakwood Cemetery in Troy, NY

Whatever amount of AI you are using for the songs and stuff keep it right there no more no less. One of the best Simon videos I’ve seen across channels

I've only heard those deep southerners say Yankee to northerners

Fun fact: the last evolutionary form of the dandy macaroni was in the Urban neighborhoods circa 1980. It was now MAC Daddy. If you were a (what's now known as metrosexual) high maintenance man who was well spoken and charismatic. You were a MAC. The more you know 🌈⭐

Well spoken history lesson, Sir.

This is a great dive in to the etymology of the word: 'dude', not just the history of the term: 'Yankee'. I wish more channels would be just as nuanced.

You learn an awful lot from watching this channel

Uncle Sam is alive and well in the Military. To this day its still common to say US Army means Uncle Sam Aint Released Me Yet.

Excellent as usual.

TROY NY REPRESENT!!! We have statues of him everywhere, a huge piece of local culture

Whenever I hear "Yankee" I think immediately of the New York Yankee MLB team.

JOHN PAUL JONES WAS A FIGHTIN’ MAN, A FIGHTIN’ MAN WAS HE

And a feather in your cap too, for an excellent vid 😊

Who sang those songs? That is a great voice!

Dude! I've always wanted to know where that term originated! 🤙

Now Simon's going to do a sing-along channel 😂😂😂 16:06

this new england yankee enjoyed this entertaining and educational episode quite a bit. thank you!

Are you alright, Simon? In your most recent videos you look slimmer and paler than usual. Great video as always, hopefully you're doing okay.

The music Yankee Doodle was a British song mocking the American Colonies. We turned their song against them, when we drove Britain out of America. They called us Yankee Doodles…Yankee stuck in The War Between The States. We became the Northern Yankees and the Southern Johnny Rebs or Rebel Army.

That singer you used has a fabulous voice. She should get credit. Maybe she did get it and I missed it.

Best channel

I've been to his grave in New York. At first, he had a simple, flat grave stone. But one of his later descendants commissioned a tall stone, which tells Sam's history.

Oh my gosh! 😱 is this where we got “The Mac” like he thinks he’s The Mac. Or the song Return of the Mac? 😂😂😂😂😂😂

The songs in this are lit. I was singing Yankee Doodle all day after this. 😂

12:00 wearing the striped Uncle Sam hat we all remember. This style is still being sold today. Millions of people worldwide misremembering what Uncle Sam's hat looked like because of this one picture, and Apollo Creed

the bull dude for britain always reminded me of winston churchill

What the heck happen to Simon’s lip at 19:06?

I was hoping Simon will sing the song

My grandfather returned from the Battle of the Bulge Philadelphia USA❤

The lore goes so deep I had no idea. And I’m quite the avid armchair historian and an American. I knew the meat can ‘U. S.’ Story but I had no idea it went way deeper.

Hey Simon, 👋 I love you

Perhaps tigers simply prefer Frosted Flakes? (I'm dying. Lmao!!!!)

2:38 John Bull looks like it was inspired by Ernest Borgnine.

Simon and his writers would have a chuckle at the tour de force of radio play drama that is Stan Freberg presents: The United States of America, Vol 1 & 2. The actual events and sentiments lampooned were chosen because they were rife with worthy material. Deep dive some of that with the Freberg skits as launch boards into more serious analysis.

Ayyyy lake George. My hometown

Are those new glasses?

So being hawaiian love the Lyric saying "never had an uncle named sam" thanks kapuna.....

the poster by James Montgomery Flagg is actually a self-portrait.

Yo but why is the one about the French and Indian war a banger?

Aw, come on, Simon! We wanted to hear YOU sing the songs!

I really like the singing in this video.

I never knew all American’s were/ are labeled Yankees. I know it would be considered an unacceptable insult for a southerner to be called a yankee, but only for being depicted as a northerner.

My opa came to germany with the us army. Always nice to learn about this history

damn i didnt even know there was a logic behind "yankee" i just thought americans were weird.

I like that singers voice. Who is she?

0:49-0:58 Just a simple inquiry, but.... maybe we should try this old symbol of the New World? You know, just try it and see how it works out?

Troy is my hometown, lot of history.

You're taking about so so many characters, items, and images, but not showing most of them. I'd have liked to have seen the images and how they are similar to others. I cba to rewatch and Google them all though.

I remember hearing about the British Regulars jweeed Americans with the song yankee Dolittle, only to be forced back to the city this time with the colonials were singing it.

John Bull looks like Trump.

Nice, a two for one! 🎉

Who the hell is this singer? She's incredible!

And here I was thinking that hip hop created the diss track. Yankee Doodle dandy indeed.

"It wenches without passion." This is so 18th century it hurts, lol.

Here in the South that word is "damnyankee". One word, not two.

lmao (Uncle Sam's Thanksgiving) while Simon was saying that the people of other nationalities and backgrounds in image 2 refused to eat the turkey and instead were "digging into their own national dishes", my gaze fell upon a possibly Chinese man literally about to eat what appears to be a fully intact, furry mouse - idk about that one! XD

I'm from the Northeast & have called myself a Yankee when abroad or in the South. It's a neutral kind of quaint term no one really thinks about beyond baseball; Southerners may get miffed by it & Westerners confused. It's funny though, calling all Americans Yankee is like calling the Netherlands Holland. We never say Yank though, not even Southerners AFAIK. My favorite use of the word is for those Japanese biker delinquents, "yanki"

Vermont tries to claim Kohnny appleseed too

When you sing a song that that mocks you and make it your own!

Walter Bots also looks exactly like the Grinch 😂

who knew military can make an effective advertisement

Nice introduction about Yankee

My man, you need a better microphone and sound isolation.

I remember hearing the "thick as hasty pudding" line when I was a kid and thinking they meant the NUMBER of soldiers. As for Yankee Doodle itself, it sounds like the revolutionary war equivalent of a dank meme. XD Did Sam see this episode yet? Make sure he doesn't or all your brain blazes will have memes a couple centuries out of date loooooooooooooool!

I am so totally spangled.

Sort of how like people think "Stay Calm and Carry On" was a rallying cry, and not a plan after surrender

International Workers of the World (IWW). AKA the I Won't Work party and / or the Wobblies.

Barney the Dinosaur theme song!

"that's a lovely, lovely voice"

But Simon, I say, what about Poor Richard??

And the Yankee Doodle song was written not far (about 3 miles) from the home of Uncle Sam.

Captainess America at 1:45

Nice.

Ive also heard Army soldiers sometimes say their Uncle paid to send them around the world.

its damn catchy

Most Yanks are not familiar with this use of "thick" (as hasty pudding). It means dense, foolish, or dimwit. (From a Yank who lived in the UK many years.)