John Bull is the name used for England and the English people, just as Uncle Sam stands for the United States and its people. The nickname John Bull was used in the 1600's. But John Arbuthnot, a Scottish writer, fixed the popular idea of John Bull. In 1712, Arbuthnot published pamphlets advocating the end of the War of the Spanish Succession. The pamphlets were republished in 1712 as The History of John Bull. In this book, John Bull, representing England, appears as a jolly, honest, plain-dealing, hot-tempered farmer.