American Literature: Biographies

The Oxford Companion to American Literature The Oxford Companion to American Literature Further reading

Brother Jonathan

The Oxford Companion to American Literature | 1995 | | Copyright

Brother Jonathan, sobriquet applied to America and the American people, which has been largely supplanted by the name Uncle Sam. The most commonly accepted origin attributes the term to Washington, who supposedly relied on the advice of Jonathan Trumbull, and once in a moment of perplexity remarked, “We must consult Brother Jonathan.” The legend is questionable, since no contemporary evidence exists, and the British used the term as early as the 17th century in alluding to the Roundheads or Puritans. In the U.S. it often refers to a Yankee, as in the novel of this title published in 1825 by John Neal.

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James D. Hart and and Phillip W. Leininger. "Brother Jonathan." The Oxford Companion to American Literature. 1995. Encyclopedia.com. 31 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

James D. Hart and and Phillip W. Leininger. "Brother Jonathan." The Oxford Companion to American Literature. 1995. Encyclopedia.com. (May 31, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O123-BrotherJonathan.html

James D. Hart and and Phillip W. Leininger. "Brother Jonathan." The Oxford Companion to American Literature. 1995. Retrieved May 31, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O123-BrotherJonathan.html

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Jonathan, Brother

The Oxford Companion to American Literature | 1995 | | Copyright

Jonathan, Brother, see Brother Jonathan.

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Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

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James D. Hart and and Phillip W. Leininger. "Jonathan, Brother." The Oxford Companion to American Literature. 1995. Encyclopedia.com. 31 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

James D. Hart and and Phillip W. Leininger. "Jonathan, Brother." The Oxford Companion to American Literature. 1995. Encyclopedia.com. (May 31, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O123-JonathanBrother.html

James D. Hart and and Phillip W. Leininger. "Jonathan, Brother." The Oxford Companion to American Literature. 1995. Retrieved May 31, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O123-JonathanBrother.html

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Free newspaper and magazine articles

	Brother Jonathan: Connecticut Governor Jonathan Trumbull Sr. held nothing... Magazine article from: The New American; 8/25/2003
	Obituaries.(NEWS) Newspaper article from: Star Tribune (Minneapolis, MN); 9/15/2005