The story
Said to have originated from George Washington referring to the patriotic Jonathan Trumbull, governor of Connecticut, by this name.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Brother Jonathan
Today it means: The personification and emblem of New England. He is also an allegory of capitalism and transcendent aspirations, and, in the past, has occasionally been the national personification of the entire United States. Full definition →