The wide-awake round hat

[major bill]

I understand what a wide-awake round hat was ca. Civil War, short crown and very wide brim, but why was it called a "wide-awake" round hat? I can not see why a hat with short crown and very wide brim would be called a wide-awake round hat.

 

[Jimklag]

Hey, Bill - I found this:

Wide-Awake Hats

Posted by grantbarrett on June 29, 2013 · Add Comment

Those soft felt hats that folks like the guy on the Quaker oatmeal box wear? They're called wide-awakes. The etymology of this term is actually a pun–a reference to the fact that they're made out of smooth material that has no nap!

Source

 

[major bill]

Or insomnia was a common ailment among Quakers?

 

[Jimklag]

The wide-awake hat

 

[major bill]

So I assume a wide-awake round hat was kind of like this but with a round top.

 

[ScottMac]

Could it be a reference to the 'Wide Awakes' who were a Republican Party para-military youth group. According to Wikipedia they wore a uniform of capes and "glazed" black hats.