From 1917 to 1918 the government printed nearly four million copies of artist James Montgomery Flagg’s eye-catching propaganda poster, “I Want YOU for U.S. Army.” Flagg (1877–1960) drew his inspiration from a popular British poster that featured Lord Herbert Kitchener (1850–1916), the British secretary of war, pointing his finger and declaring, “Your Country Needs YOU.” Flagg’s version starred Uncle Sam, a popular patriotic symbol since the early nineteenth century, which he drew using his own reflection as a model with some added wrinkles and gray hair. The artist’s first rendition appeared on the 1916 cover of Leslie’s Weekly magazine accompanied by the caption “What Are You Doing for Preparedness?” Once the United States entered the fray, he adapted it for the War Department’s recruitment needs.

The British and U.S. War Departments utilized their respective versions of these posters to spur military enlistment and secure cooperation with newly enacted conscription laws. American wartime propaganda posters made repeated use of Uncle Sam imagery to visualize citizens’ patriotic obligation to serve the nation in time of war. Various incarnations of Uncle Sam directed Americans to buy liberty bonds, conserve food, plant victory gardens, and work diligently in war-related industries.