114: Brother Jonathan

114: Brother Jonathan

From 500 Open Tabs by Kaveh Taherian & Hannah Hillam

April 22, 2026 · 1h 3m · Season 3 · Episode 114

About this episode

The episode explores the evolution of America's mascot from Brother Jonathan to Uncle Sam and discusses a significant archaeological find in Egypt.

This week we learn about Uncle Sam's predecessor Brother Jonathan, and how America's mascot for itself evolved between the Revolutionary and Civil Wars. A listener email explains the importance of a finely carved 2000 year old statue of the Buddha recently found in Egypt. Episode Tabs: Before America Got Uncle Sam, It Had to Endure Brother Jonathan https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/brother-jonathan-uncle-sam Listener Tabs: Berenike Buddha https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berenike_Buddha Email your closed tab submissions to:  500opentabs@gmail.com Support us on Patreon:  https://www.patreon.com/500OpenTabs 500 Open Tabs Wiki:  https://500-open-tabs.fandom.com/wiki/500_Open_Tabs_Wiki 500 Open Roads (Google Maps episode guide):  https://maps.app.goo.gl/Tg9g2HcUaFAzXGbw7 Continue the conversation by joining us on Discord!  https://discord.gg/8px5RJHk7a Get 40% off an annual subscription to Nebula by going to  nebula.tv/500opentabs See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

People in this episode

Hosts: Kaveh Taherian, Hannah Hillam

Topics covered

  • American history
  • cultural evolution
  • mascots
  • Revolutionary War
  • Civil War

Keywords

  • Brother Jonathan
  • Uncle Sam
  • American mascot
  • Buddha statue
  • Egypt
  • Revolutionary War
  • Civil War

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Brother Jonathan, Berenike Buddha

Places: Egypt

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