History of 'In God We Trust' History of 'In God We Trust' Page Content The motto IN GOD WE TRUST was placed on United States coins largely because of the increased religious sentiment existing during the Civil War. Secretary of the Treasury Salmon P. Chase received many appeals from devout persons throughout the country, urging that the United States recognize the Deity on United States coins. From Treasury Department records, it appears that the first such appeal came in a letter dated November 13, 1861. It was written to Secretary Chase by Rev. M. R. Watkinson, Minister of the Gospel from Ridleyville, Pennsylvania, and read: Dear Sir: You are about to submit your annual report to the Congress respecting the affairs of the national finances. One fact touching our currency has hitherto been seriously overlooked. I mean the recognition of the Almighty God in some form on our coins. You are probably a Christian. What if our Republic were not shattered beyond reconstruction? Would not the antiquaries of succeeding centuries rightly reason from our past that we were a heathen nation?

What I propose is that instead of the goddess of liberty we shall have next inside the 13 stars a ring inscribed with the words PERPETUAL UNION; within the ring the allseeing eye, crowned with a halo; beneath this eye the American flag, bearing in its field stars equal to the number of the States united; in the folds of the bars the words GOD, LIBERTY, LAW. This would make a beautiful coin, to which no possible citizen could object. This would relieve us from the ignominy of heathenism. This would place us openly under the Divine protection we have personally claimed. From my hearth I have felt our national shame in disowning God as not the least of our present national disasters. To you first I address a subject that must be agitated. As a result, Secretary Chase instructed James Pollock, Director of the Mint at Philadelphia, to prepare a motto, in a letter dated November 20, 1861: Dear Sir: No nation can be strong except in the strength of God, or safe except in His defense. The trust of our people in God should be declared on our national coins.

You will cause a device to be prepared without unnecessary delay with a motto expressing in the fewest and tersest words possible this national recognition. It was found that the Act of Congress dated January 18, 1837, prescribed the mottoes and devices that should be placed upon the coins of the United States. This meant that the mint could make no changes without the enactment of additional legislation by the Congress. In December 1863, the Director of the Mint submitted designs for new one-cent coin, two-cent coin, and three-cent coin to Secretary Chase for approval. He proposed that upon the designs either OUR COUNTRY; OUR GOD or GOD, OUR TRUST should appear as a motto on the coins. In a letter to the Mint Director on December 9, 1863, Secretary Chase stated: I approve your mottoes, only suggesting that on that with the Washington obverse the motto should begin with the word OUR, so as to read OUR GOD AND OUR COUNTRY. And on that with the shield, it should be changed so as to read: IN GOD WE TRUST. The Congress passed the Act of April 22, 1864.

This legislation changed the composition of the one-cent coin and authorized the minting of the two-cent coin. The Mint Director was directed to develop the designs for these coins for final approval of the Secretary. IN GOD WE TRUST first appeared on the 1864 two-cent coin. Another Act of Congress passed on March 3, 1865. It allowed the Mint Director, with the Secretary's approval, to place the motto on all gold and silver coins that "shall admit the inscription thereon." Under the Act, the motto was placed on the gold double-eagle coin, the gold eagle coin, and the gold half-eagle coin. It was also placed on the silver dollar coin, the half-dollar coin and the quarter-dollar coin, and on the nickel three-cent coin beginning in 1866. Later, Congress passed the Coinage Act of February 12, 1873. It also said that the Secretary "may cause the motto IN GOD WE TRUST to be inscribed on such coins as shall admit of such motto." The use of IN GOD WE TRUST has not been uninterrupted.

The motto disappeared from the five-cent coin in 1883, and did not reappear until production of the Jefferson nickel began in 1938. Since 1938, all United States coins bear the inscription. Later, the motto was found missing from the new design of the double-eagle gold coin and the eagle gold coin shortly after they appeared in 1907. In response to a general demand, Congress ordered it restored, and the Act of May 18, 1908, made it mandatory on all coins upon which it had previously appeared. IN GOD WE TRUST was not mandatory on the one-cent coin and five-cent coin. It could be placed on them by the Secretary or the Mint Director with the Secretary's approval. The motto has been in continuous use on the one-cent coin since 1909, and on the ten-cent coin since 1916. It also has appeared on all gold coins and silver dollar coins, half-dollar coins, and quarter-dollar coins struck since July 1, 1908. A law passed by the 84th Congress (P.L.

84-140) and approved by the President on July 30, 1956, the President approved a Joint Resolution of the 84th Congress, declaring IN GOD WE TRUST the national motto of the United States. IN GOD WE TRUST was first used on paper money in 1957, when it appeared on the one-dollar silver certificate. The first paper currency bearing the motto entered circulation on October 1, 1957. The Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) was converting to the dry intaglio printing process. During this conversion, it gradually included IN GOD WE TRUST in the back design of all classes and denominations of currency. As a part of a comprehensive modernization program the BEP successfully developed and installed new high-speed rotary intaglio printing presses in 1957. These allowed BEP to print currency by the dry intaglio process, 32 notes to the sheet. One-dollar silver certificates were the first denomination printed on the new high-speed presses. They included IN GOD WE TRUST as part of the reverse design as BEP adopted new dies according to the law.

The motto also appeared on one-dollar silver certificates of the 1957-A and 1957-B series. BEP prints United States paper currency by an intaglio process from engraved plates. It was necessary, therefore, to engrave the motto into the printing plates as a part of the basic engraved design to give it the prominence it deserved. One-dollar silver certificates series 1935, 1935-A, 1935-B, 1935-C, 1935-D, 1935-E, 1935-F, 1935-G, and 1935-H were all printed on the older flat-bed presses by the wet intaglio process. P.L. 84-140 recognized that an enormous expense would be associated with immediately replacing the costly printing plates. The law allowed BEP to gradually convert to the inclusion of IN GOD WE TRUST on the currency. Accordingly, the motto is not found on series 1935-E and 1935-F one-dollar notes.

By September 1961, IN GOD WE TRUST had been added to the back design of the Series 1935-G notes. Some early printings of this series do not bear the motto. IN GOD WE TRUST appears on all series 1935-H one-dollar silver certificates. Below is a listing by denomination of the first production and delivery dates for currency bearing IN GOD WE TRUST: DENOMINATION USSSP: Great Seal and National Mottos of the U.S.A. The National Mottos of the United States of America This page concentrates on the history of the Great Seal of the United States and the National Motto of the United States (In God We Trust). The Great Seal of the United States of America On July 4, 1776 the Continental Congress set a committee to work to design a national seal. The task was a monumental one since the feeling was that it reflected the Founding Fathers' beliefs, values and sovereignty of the new Nation. Original designs varied widely. Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson proposed a design representing Moses crossing the Red Sea, with Pharaoh in hot pursuit. It included the motto: 'Rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God'.

The task was not complete until the current design was approved by Congress on June 20, 1782. The device or design on the obverse (front) of the Great Seal is the coat of arms (emblem) of the United States. Strictly speaking without the crest (constellation of stars). Used apart from the seal for a number of official government purposes. The coat of arms is the symbol and badge of the United States Government. The Great Seal of the United States, both obverse and reverse, is pictured on the back of the $1 bill. The seal is a heraldic device, and as such, each element has a specific meaning. Obverse (Front) The American bald eagle is prominently featured supporting a shield composed of 13 red and white stripes (pales) representing the Thirteen Original states with a blue bar (chief) uniting the shield and representing Congress. The shield is born on the breast of the eagle without any other supporters to denote that the United States ought to rely on their own virtue. The motto of the United States E Pluribus Unum (out of many, one) is emblazoned on the scroll held in the eagle's beak and refers to this union.

The olive branch (dexter talon) and 13 arrows (sinister talon) grasped by the eagle allude to peace and war, powers solely vested in the Congress, and the constellation of stars (crest), breaking through a cloud symbolizes the new Nation taking its place among the sovereign powers. The eagle faces right, which is proper in heraldry. The colors have specific meanings. The colors red, white and blue did not have a meaning for the flag when adopted in 1777, but do have meaning in the seal. white -- purity and innocence blue - color of the Chief represents vigilance, perseverance and justice Reverse (Back) The unfinished pyramid signifies strength and duration: The eye over it and the motto, Annuit Coeptis (He, [God,] has favored our undertakings), allude to the many interventions of Providence in favor of the American cause. The Roman numerals below are the date of the Declaration of Independence. The words under it, novus Ordo Seclorum (a new order of the ages), signify the beginning of the new American era beginning in 1776. Frequently Asked Questions about the Great Seal Where is the Great Seal stored?

The Great Seal (obverse only) is used to emboss the design upon international Treaties and other official U.S. Government documents. Used 2-3,000 times a year, the die, counter die, press and cabinet in which they are housed are located in the Exhibit Hall of the Department of State inside a locked glass enclosure. An officer from the Department's Presidential Appointments Staff does the actual sealing of documents after the Secretary of State has countersigned the President's signature. Why is the seal called 'great'? The seal is called 'great' by tradition. A 'great' seal is used to represent the government of a country. In the case of the United States, it is used to authenticate the President's signature on certain state documents. Some countries, such as in the case of the British privy seal, have 'lesser' seals that are used to signify the royal family. The United States does not use the concept of a 'lesser' seal, however it still uses the word 'great' in the title of the Great Seal. Has the Eagle always faced the olive branch? Yes, since the first die was cast, the eagle has always faced right and has held the olive branch in its right talon.

Presidential flags, seals (and coats of arms) showed the eagle facing left, towards the arrows, until 1945 when President Truman changed a number of items in the presidential flag and seal [Executive Order 9646].One of the changes was to have the eagle face right, towards the olive branch "This new flag faces the eagle toward the staff," Truman explained, "which is looking to the front all the time when you are on the march, and also has him looking at the olive branch for peace, instead of the arrows for war ...ï¿½ President Truman meant the shift in the eagle's gaze to be seen as symbolic of a nation both on the march and dedicated to peace. It has remained that way ever since. Contrary to a popular myth, the eagle in the Presidential seal does not flip his gaze during times of war. Although when Truman and Churchill were looking at the new symbol on a train car, Churchill remarked that he thought the eagle's head should be on a swivel. That may be the origin of the myth. In any case, it is incorrect. The arrows and olive branches are always held in the same claws. Is it true that Benjamin Franklin really wanted the turkey as the national symbol?

Benjamin Franklin's idea for a coat of arms was of Moses crossing the Red Sea (see above), however almost eight years after his service on the seal committee, and after a design for the seal had been adopted and put into use, Franklin expressed his distaste for the bald eagle as the symbol of the country to a letter to his daughter in 1784. Franklin was probably not writing seriously, as he had promptly used the Great Seal device, with the eagle, in two publications printed on his press at Passy in 1783. But the story has been widely disseminated. Did freemasonry influence the Great Seal designs? Because membership records for the Revolutionary period are scattered and imperfect, it is not possible to answer this with complete certainty. There is no evidence that the final designers of the Great Seal, Charles Thomson or Philadelphia William Barton, were Masons. It is more likely that the seal designers of the Great Seal and the Masons took their symbols from parallel sources. The National Mottos In God We Trust The national motto originated with Secretary of the Treasury Salmon P. Chase during the Civil War. Prompted by a letter from Rev. M. R.

Watkinson, of Ridleyville, Pennsylvania asking for a recognition of "the Almighty God in some form in our coins.", Chase requested Congress to pass a law changing the composition of the 2-cent piece to include the motto "In God we trust". The law as passed on April 22, 1864. Eventually the motto appeared on many U.S. coins and currencies. When the double eagle and eagle of new design appeared in 1907, it was soon discovered that the motto had been omitted. In response to a general demand, Congress ordered it restored, and the act of May 18, 1908, made mandatory its appearance upon all coins which it had heretofore appeared. The act approved July 11, 1955, makes appearance of the motto "In God we trust" mandatory upon all coins of the United States. (69 Stat. 290. 31 U.S. Code 324a) On July 30, 1956 a law was passed stating that "the national motto of the United States is hereby declared to be 'In God we trust'." (70 Stat. 732. 36 U.S.

Code 186). The House Judiciary Committee recognized that the phrase E Pluribus Unum had also received wide usage in the United States, and the joint resolution did not repeal or prohibit its use as a national motto. In 1963 the Department of State took the following position: "'In God we trust'" is the motto of the United States. It seems to the Department, nevertheless, that there is ample basis both in history and in law for calling 'E Pluribus Unum' a motto of the United States." The Congress has used both. E Pluribus Unum E Pluribus Unum means "out of many, one". It comes from a popular publication during revolutionary times entitled Gentleman's Magazine which carried that legend upon the title page. The magazine was well known to literate Americans of the time. The Gentleman's Magazine obtained the legend from an earlier and long out of print publication called the Gentleman's Journal which used the motto in 1692. And perhaps ultimately to Virgil, St. Augustine or Horace. It was first used extensively in the United States only after it was introduced on the Great Seal.

Frequently Asked Questions about the National Mottos Have federal court cases cast doubt on the constitutionality of the motto "In God we trust"? The federal courts have held that the motto symbolizes the historical role of religion in our society, Lynch, 465 U.S. at 676, formalizes our medium of exchange, see O'Hair v. Blumenthal, 462 F. Supp. 19, 20 (W.D. Tex.), aff'd sub nom. O'Hair v. Murray, 588 F.2d 1144 (5th Cir. 1978) (per curiam), and cert. denied, 442 U.S.930 (1979), fosters patriotism, see Aronow v. United States, 432 F.2d 242, 243 (9th Cir. 1970), and expresses confidence in the future, Lynch, 465 U.S. at 692-93 (O'Connor, J., concurring).

The motto's primary effect is not to advance religion; instead, it is a form of "ceremonial deism" which through historical usage and ubiquity cannot be reasonably understood to convey government approval of religious belief. Allegheny, 492 U.S. at 625 (O'Connor, J., concurring); Lynch, 465 U.S. at 693 (O'Connor, J., concurring); id. at 716 (Brennan, J., dissenting). Finally, the motto does not create an intimate relationship of the type that suggests unconstitutional entanglement of church and state. O'Hair, 462 F. Supp. at 20. "After making [inquiries], we find that a reasonable observer, aware of the purpose, context, and history of the phrase "In God we trust," would not consider its use or its reproduction on U.S. currency to be an endorsement of religion. (Gaylor vs USA, 10th Cir. 1996) References The Eagle and the Shield, Department of State , 1976 The Great Seal of the United States, Dept. of State publication, 1980.

Presidential Seal Speaks of Peace, Newsday. 6 January 1995. Truman, David McCullough, New York: Touchstone Books, 1993. Created by: Bill Nelson, Venturing Committee Chairman, Grand Canyon Council, Boy Scouts of America. Please let me know of any additions or corrections. IN GOD WE TRUST AMERICA ACKNOWLEDGES GOD From the very beginning, American public documents have acknowledged and given tribute to God. The first Charter of Virginia (1606) granted the kings authority to launch a British colony in the New World.

After naming the persons receiving the grant, the charter began: We, greatly commending, and graciously accepting of, their Desires for the Furtherance of so noble a Work, which may, by the Providence of Almighty God, hereafter tend to the Glory of his Divine Majesty, in propagating of Christian Religion to such People, as yet live in Darkness and miserable Ignorance of the true Knowledge and Worship of God " Using similar language, the Pilgrims of Plymouth set forth the purpose of their government in the first few words of the Mayflower Compact: In the NAME OF GOD, AMEN Having undertaken for the Glory of God, and Advancement of the Christian Faith, and the Honour of our King and Country The Declaration of Independence, drafted by Thomas Jefferson, looked to the "laws of nature and of natures God" and to the unalienable rights of men given "by their Creator" to justify the colonists break from Great Britain The signers of this historic document acknowledged their trust in God by appealing to "the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions," and pledging to defend the Declaration "with a firm reliance on the protection of DIVINE PROVIDENCE." It was Jefferson who also drafted the Virginia Statute

 for Religious Freedom (1786), a forerunner of the First Amendment, which prohibited government control of religion because: Whereas, Almighty God hath created the mind free; that all attempts to influence it by temporal punishment are a departure from the plan of the Holy Author of our religion, who, being Lord both of body and mind, yet chose not to propagate it by coercions on either.

Since its earliest days, the leaders of our republic have acknowledged Gods hand in America. In his first inaugural address, George Washington confessed dependence upon God and His providence in the affairs of the United States: [I]t would be peculiarly improper to omit in this first official act my fervent supplications to that Almighty Being who rules over the universe, who presides in the councils of nations, and whose providential aids can supply every human defect, that His benediction may consecrate to the liberties and happiness of the people of the United States a Government No people can be bound to acknowledge and adore the Invisible Hand which conducts the affairs of men more than those of the United States. Every step by which they have advanced to the character of an independent nation seems to have been distinguished by some token on providential agency. THE INFLUENCE OF RELIGION IN AMERICA The substantial influence of religion in American history makes the adoption of "In God We Trust" as our national motto particularly appropriate. Americans have a rich heritage of religious faith and practice. Foreign visitors were impressed by the religious character of early Americans.

Alexis de Tocqueville, a Frenchman who traveled extensively in America noted in his famous book, Democracy in America: America is still the place where the Christian religion has kept the greatest real power over mens souls; and nothing better demonstrates how useful and natural it is to man, since the country where it now has widest sway is both the most enlightened and the freest. Robert Baird, an observer of religious trends in the early 1800s, spent the years 1835-1843 in Europe studying the roots of American religious freedom. At the end of his study, he published his classic work Religion in America in which he said, To their religion the New England colonists owed all their best qualities. Even their political freedom they owed to the contest they had waged in England for religious liberty Religion led them to abandon their country, rather than submit to a tyranny that threatened to enslave their immortal souls, and made them seek in the New World the freedom of conscience that was denied to them in the old.

Baird observed that, "In no other part of the world, perhaps, do a larger proportion of the inhabitants attend church than in the United States," This led Baird to conclude: It is just because of these influencesthe Sabbath, the Church, the Biblethat a vast country of now more than twenty-seven millions of people can be governed, and is governed, without the bayonet and the cannon. Commenting on his travels in America during the 1850s, German agnostic and foe of religion Karl Griesinger was forced to ask why church attendance in America was "more common here than anywhere else in the world?" Even to Griesinger, the statistics would have seemed astounding. During the period of the Revolution and the drafting of the Constitution, it is estimated that 59%-77.5% of all Americans were churched. The Second Great Awakening in the early 1800s and the expansion of Methodist and Baptist Churches in this country pushed the figures even higher. The American Almanac and Repository of Useful Knowledge estimated that in 1831 there were 12,136,953 members and adherents of various American denominations.

The population of the U.S. that year was estimated at 13,321,000, indicating 91% of the population was involved in churches Robert Baird found that in 1955 there were approximately 22,762,000 members and adherents among evangelical denominations and Catholics, which was 86% of the total population of approximately 26,500,000 people in the United States. The amazing influence of the churches on American life persisted up through the Civil War, during which the phrase "In God We Trust" first appeared on United States coins. RECOGNIZING GOD ON U.S. COINS According to the U.S. Treasury Department records, the first request for recognition of God on U.S. coins was made in a letter from the Reverend Mr. M. R. Watkinson of Ridleyville, Pennsylvania to Salmon P. Chase, Secretary of the Treasury, dated November 13, 1861: You are about to submit your annual report to Congress respecting the affairs of the national finances. One fact touching our currency has hitherto been seriously overlooked.

I mean the recognition of the Almighty God in some form in our coins. You are probably a Christian. What if our Republic were now shattered beyond reconstruction? Would not the antiquaries of succeeding centuries rightly reason from our past that we were a heathen nation? What I propose is that instead of the goddess of liberty we shall have next inside the 13 stars a ring inscribed with the words perpetual union; within this ring the all seeing eye, crowned with a halo; beneath this eye the American flag, bearing in its field stars equal to the number of the States united; in the folds of the bars the words God, liberty, law. This would make a beautiful coin, to which no possible citizen could object. This would relieve us from the ignominy of heathenism. This would place us openly under the Divine protection we have personally claimed. From my heart I have felt our national shame in disowning God as not the least of our present national disasters. To you first I address a subject that must be agitated. Reverend Mr. Watkinsons request was not without precedent.

The colonial governments, as early as 1694 had issued coins bearing reference to God: The Carolina cent minted in 1694 bore the inscription God preserve Carolina and the Lords proprietors. The New England token of the same year bore the inscription God preserve New England. The Louisiana cent coined in 1721-22 and 1767 bore the inscription Sit nomen Domini benedictumBlessed be the name of the Lord. The Virginia halfpenny of 1774 bore an inscription in Latin which translated meant "George the Third by the grace of God" Utah issued gold pieces in the denominations of $2.50, $5, $10, and $20 in 1849 bearing the inscription Holiness to the Lord. Secretary Chase, responding within a week to Rev. Watkinsons suggestion, wrote the Director of the Mint: No nation can be strong except in the strength of God, or safe except in His defense. The trust of our people in God should be declared on our national coins.

You will cause a device to be prepared without unnecessary delay with a motto expressing in the fewest and tersest words possible this national recognition. James Pollock, who in May 1861 had been appointed Director of the Mint by President Lincoln, began preparing appropriate designs for coins incorporating such mottoes as "Our country; our God," and "God, our Trust." On December 9, 1863, after reviewing Pollocks proposals, Secretary Chase approved the present motto, "In God We Trust." On April 22, 1864, Congress passed new legislation authorizing one- and two-cent coins and granting the Director of the Mint and the Secretary of the Treasury discretion to fix "the shape, mottoes, and devices" of the new coins. Consequently, the mint issued the new two-cent bronze coin on which the motto "In God We Trust" first appeared. On March 3, 1865, Congress expanded the mints authority to use the motto "In God We Trust" on still other coins.

Pursuant to this law, the new motto was incorporated into the designs of the shield-type nickel, the quarter dollar, half dollar, dollar, half eagle ($5.00), eagle ($10.00) and double eagle ($20.00) coins beginning is 1866. This permissive grant of authority was restated in the Coinage Act of 1873. CONTROVERSY OVER THE MOTTOS USE Use of the national motto "In God We Trust" on coins continued from 1864 up to 1907. At that time, the U.S. Mint released new eagles and double eagles designed by Augustus Saint-Gardens. President Theodore Roosevelt had commissioned Saint-Gaudens to design the new coins in a high relief style. The new eagles and double eagles did not include the motto "In God We Trust" in their design. Public outcry for the mottos restoration arose soon after the new coins release. President Roosevelt defended the mottos removal. In a letter to the Reverend Mr. Roland C.

Dryer of Nunda, New York, who along with many others had protested the omission, Roosevelt stated that public recognition of God was important and that "In God We Trust" was "indeed well to have inscribed on our great national monuments, in our temples of justice, in our legislative halls, and in buildings such as those at West Point and Annapolis-in short, wherever it will tend to arouse and inspire a lofty emotion in those who look thereon". Roosevelt expressed fear that use of the motto on coins was "in effect irreverence which comes dangerously close to sacrilege." The President pointed out he had never heard anyone speak reverently of the motto on coins. He cited examples of how people had used the phrase in a jesting manner during debates over the free coinage of silver in the 1800s. Noting the law did not require the motto, but only permitted its use. Roosevelt followed his personal conviction and chose not to use it. He did point out, however, a law could be passed mandating the use of the phrase "In God We Trust" on all coins.

Roosevelt stated he would comply with such a mandate as the desire of the American people expressed through Congress. Responding to increasing public demand, Congress did pass legislation requiring the use of the phrase "In God We Trust" on all coins which had previously borne the motto. The law stated: That the motto "In God We Trust," heretofore inscribed on certain denominations of the gold and silver coins of the United States of America, shall hereafter be inscribed upon all such gold and silver coins of said denominations as heretofore. President Roosevelt signed the new law of May 18, 1908, and "In God We Trust" was restored to the coins. MODERN CHALLENGES TO THE MOTTOS USE Since 1955, all the United States coins and currency have carried the motto "In God We Trust." Not until 1970 and 1978 were the laws authorizing its use legally challenged. Responding to atheist Madalyn Murray O"Hairs charge, the court rejected her argument that the phrase, "In God We Trust," violated the First Amendment.

The court cited remarks about the motto made by Justice William Brennan in his concurring opinion in Abingdon v. Schempp, (the case which struck down school Bible reading) stating: It is not that the use of these four words (In God We Trust) can be dismissed as de minimis The truth is that we have simply interwoven the motto so deeply into the fabric of our civil policy that its present use may well not present that type of involvement which the First Amendment prohibits." The United States Supreme Court refused to hear her appeal. CONCLUSION Public recognition of God and the use of our motto "In God We Trust" on our coins and currency have a long, well founded place in Americas heritage. The Supreme Court recognized this heritage when Justice William O.

Douglas stated, "We are a religious people whose institutions presuppose a Supreme Being." As we enter our third century as a nation we must not forget the legacy of dependence upon God as reflected in our national motto "In God We Trust." Only by remembering this legacy can we say with Abraham Lincoln " that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom." __________________________________________ In God We Trust | Speaker.gov In God We Trust July 30, 2014| Maura Gillespie On July 30, 1956, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the law that made “In God We Trust” the official motto of the United States of America. It also mandated that the phrase be printed on all U.S. currency, including paper. And in November 2011, the House passed H. Con. Res 13 , a bipartisan bill that reaffirmed “In God We Trust” as our nation’s official motto. This spring, Rep. Randy Forbes (R-VA) presented Speaker Boehner with a plaque (pictured above) to hang in his office in the Capitol. It’s a proud reminder of this important phrase that originated more than 150 years ago.

Originally approved by Congress in 1864, the phrase comes from the Proverbs 3:5, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart.” On this important anniversary, the Speaker said: “I’m proud to commemorate and reaffirm the appropriateness of our national motto and I’m proud to have this plaque hanging in my office. ‘In God We Trust’ speaks to all of our citizens, and it’s not just a source of pride for us, it is a beacon of hope for the world.” Share This Post Congressional Prayer Caucus Foundation In God We Trust In God We Trust National Motto “In God We Trust” was adopted as the official motto of the United States in 1956. The phrase was designed as an alternative to E pluribus unum, which was the unofficial motto first used in 1782 when the Great Seal of the United States was also created. The phrase may have originated from the words of the “The Star-Spangled Banner” written during the War of 1812. The fourth stanza includes the phrase, “And this be our motto: ‘In God is our Trust.’” The motto first appeared on U.S.

coins in 1864 and on paper currency in 1957 (a one-dollar silver certificate). The law making In God We Trust the national motto was passed through a joint resolution by the 84th Congress ( P.L. 84-851 ) and signed by President Dwight Eisenhower on July 30, 1956. Chief Historian at Antietam National Battlefield, Ted Alexander, maintains the motto was first used by the 125th Pennsylvania Infantry as a battle cry on September 17, 1862. From the crucible of the Civil War, the Reverend M. R. Watkinson, in a letter dated November 13, 1861, petitioned the Treasury Department to add a statement recognizing, “Almighty God in some form in our coins,” perhaps as a declaration that God was on the Union side. Treasury Secretary, Salmon P. Chase, acted on Watkinson’s proposal and directed the Director of the Philadelphia Mint, James Pollock, to begin work on potential designs that included the phrase.

Due to an Act of Congress dated January 18, 1837, mottoes and devices that are placed on U.S. coins, had to first be prescribed by enacting additional legislation. Such legislation was introduced and passed on April 22, 1864, allowing the Secretary of the Treasury to authorize the inclusion of the phrase on one-cent and two-cent coins. The use of “In God We Trust” has not been continuous since its inception. In 2006, on the 50th anniversary of its adoption, the Senate reaffirmed the phrase as the official national motto and in 2011, the House of Representatives passed an additional reaffirming resolution in a 396-9 vote. It is also the motto for the State of Florida. Talking Points US National Motto: In God We Trust "In God We Trust" Adopted on July 30, 1956 In God We Trust is the official national motto of the United States and the US state of Florida. The modern motto of the United States of America, as established in a 1956 by an Act of Congress and signed by President Dwight D.

Eisenhower, is In God we trust. The motto first appeared on a United States coin in 1864. US National Motto "In God We Trust The original national motto: "E Pluribus Unum" The original motto of the United States was secular. "E Pluribus Unum" is Latin for "One from many" or "One from many parts." It refers to the welding of a single federal state from a group of individual political units - originally colonies and now states. On 1776-JUL-4, Congress appointed John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson to prepare a design for the Great Seal of the United States. The first design, submitted to Congress on 1776-AUG-10 used the motto "E Pluribus Unum." It was rejected. Five other designs also failed to meet with Congress' approval during the next five years. In 1782, Congress asked Mr. Thomson, Secretary of Congress, to complete the project. Thomson, along with a friend named Barton, produced a design that was accepted by Congress on 1782-JUN-10.

It included an eagle with a heart-shaped shield, holding arrows and an olive branch in its claws. The motto "E Pluribus Unum" appeared on a scroll held in its beak. The seal was first used on 1782-SEP-16. It was first used on some federal coins in 1795. The replacement motto: "In God We Trust:" The national motto originated with Salmon P. Chase, Secretary of the Treasury, during the Civil War. Prompted by a letter from Rev. M. R. Watkinson, of Ridleyville, Pennsylvania, asking for a recognition of "the Almighty God in some form in our coins," Chase requested Congress to pass a law changing the composition of the 2-cent piece to include the motto "In God We Trust." The law was passed on April 22, 1864. That same year, the two-cent coin was the first bearing the inscription. Eventually the motto appeared on all US coins and currencies. When the double eagle and eagle of new design appeared in 1907, it was soon discovered that the motto had been omitted.

In response to a general demand, Congress ordered it restored, and the act of May 18, 1908, made mandatory its appearance upon all coins upon which it had heretofore appeared. The act approved July 11, 1955, makes appearance of the motto "In God We Trust" mandatory upon all coins of the United States (69 Stat. 290. 31 US Code 324a). On July 30, 1956, a law was passed stating "the national motto of the United States is hereby declared to be 'In God We Trust'." (70 Stat. 732. 36 US Code 186). This did not repeal or prohibit the phrase E Pluribis Unum as a national motto. In 1963 the Department of State took the following position: "'In God We Trust' is the motto of the United States. It seems to the Department, nevertheless, that there is ample basis both in history and law for calling 'E Pluribus Unum' a motto of the United States." The Congress has used both.

Mottos of the States State motto is a word, phrase, or sentence inscribed on or attached to a coin, building, or other object. The motto states an important idea for a group of people within the state. Colleges & Universities In God We Trust “In God We Trust.” By 1966, the motto had been added to all of the nation’s paper money. The national motto “In God We Trust” has withstood many challenges through the years ï¿½ including a current lawsuit contesting the legality of using this familiar phrase on U.S. coins and paper money and seeks its removal. The current suit, filed in Ohio in January 2016 by atheist lawyer-activist Michael Newdow, argues that there is no “compelling government interest” in the motto and that placing it on coins and currency forces atheists to use forms of money to which they strongly object. The case was still pending in late July 2016. In previous lawsuits, however, judges have consistently upheld the use of the motto on money. A federal judge in New York, in a ruling Sept. 10, 2013, dismissed a lawsuit seeking to force removal of the words from U.S.

coins and currency. In doing so, District Judge Harold Baer Jr. wrote that ï¿½the U.S. Supreme Court has repeatedly assumed the mottoï¿½s secular purpose and effectï¿½ and that federal appeals courts ï¿½have found no constitutional violation in the mottoï¿½s inclusion on currency.ï¿½ The suit had been filed Feb. 1 by an atheist group called the Freedom From Religion Foundation and 19 other plaintiffs. They demanded that the U.S. Treasury be ordered to remove the motto from U.S. coins and paper money on grounds that its use constitutes ï¿½discriminationï¿½ against non-believers. By handing their money to anyone in a commercial exchange, the plaintiffs argued, atheists are ï¿½forced to proselytize ï¿½ by an act of Congress ï¿½ for a deity they donï¿½t believe in.ï¿½ The judge ruled that while the plaintiffs might feel offended, they suffered no ï¿½substantial burdenï¿½ because of the mottoï¿½s appearance on U.S. money.

A similar case in 2011, brought by the same atheist attorney, Michael Newdow, went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, where it was rejected. Most Americans, including President Barack Obama, have taken the words ï¿½In God We Trustï¿½ for granted. Thus, many were surprised in 2011 when the House of Representatives voted to reaffirm this simple phrase as the official national motto. 44th President Barack Obama The story of the motto is an engrossing one, full of fascinating twists and turns ï¿½ and from its inception, the phrase has been closely linked to the money in Americansï¿½ pockets. The motto now appears on all U.S. coins and paper money, but nearly a century passed before that point was reached. One coin lacked the inscription as late as 1938 ï¿½ and it didnï¿½t appear at all on the nationï¿½s paper money until 1957. The phrase ï¿½In God We Trustï¿½ made headlines in October 2011, when the House of Representatives passed a non-binding resolution reaffirming its status as the U.S.

national motto. It did so after President Barack Obama mistakenly referred to ï¿½E Pluribus Unumï¿½ as the nationï¿½s official motto. That familiar phrase ï¿½ which in Latin means ï¿½Out of many, oneï¿½ ï¿½ has appeared on U.S. coinage for more than two centuries, but enjoys no official status. Democrats, including Obama, charged that in drafting and passing the resolution, the Republican-controlled House was wasting time that could have been better spent on hammering out a job-creation bill. ï¿½Thatï¿½s not putting people back to work,ï¿½ Obama said. ï¿½I trust in God, but God wants to see us help ourselves by putting people back to work. Thereï¿½s work to be done. There are workers ready to do it.

The American people are behind this.ï¿½ Randy Forbes Resolution Congressman Randy Forbes Pennsylvania State Capitol Entrance In response, the Republican sponsor of the resolution, Congressman Randy Forbes of Virginia, noted Obama’s earlier misstatement about “E Pluribus Unum” and pointed out that those words had been engraved in the new Capitol Visitors Center until Congress ordered use of the proper inscription. Forbes’ resolution supports and encourages the display of the words “In God We Trust” in all public schools and government buildings. It was approved overwhelmingly, 396 to 9, with two abstentions. E Pluribus Unum The Battle of Gettysburg was fought July 1–3, 1863 Many Americans mistakenly believe that the government’s use of the words “In God We Trust” dates back to the time of the Founding Fathers – as do two other familiar coinage inscriptions, “Liberty” and “E Pluribus Unum.” In point of fact, it was the Civil War, not the American Revolution, that gave rise to the phrase. The bitter, bloody War Between the States stoked religious fervor and led the Union government to seek solace and guidance from above.

Up to then, during more than seven decades of production, no U.S. coin had carried the motto, or anything resembling it. U.S. coinage had never made reference before that time to a supreme being – but the strong religious sentiments stirred by the Civil War created a climate conducive to the use of such an inscription. A Baptist minister from Ridleyville, Pa., the Rev. Mark R. Watkinson, is credited with planting the seed for this unprecedented action. In a letter to Salmon P. Chase, President Abraham Lincoln’s Treasury Secretary, dated Nov. 13, 1861, Watkinson urged that provision be made for “the recognition of the Almighty God in some form on our coins.” “This,” he said, “would relieve us from the ignominy of heathenism. This would place us openly under the Divine protection we have personally claimed.” Chase shared Watkinson’s view. And he soon set in motion steps that led to a prominent reference to God on U.S. coinage. After receiving the minister’s letter, he sent a note to Mint Director James Pollock stating: “The trust of our people in God should be declared on our national coins.

You will cause a device to be prepared without unnecessary delay with a motto expressing in the fewest tersest terms possible this national recognition.” James Pollock was a former governor of Pennsylvania and an accomplished congressman. He was raised in the Christian faith and had a strong belief in God. He was a close friend of Abraham Lincoln with whom he had been active in the anti-slavery movement. Pollock apparently carried out this directive without delay. Though 1861 was drawing to a close, he arranged for the striking of pattern half dollars and eagles ($10 gold pieces) bearing that date. Patterns are coins produced by a government mint to demonstrate something new – a new design, a new alloy or, as in this instance, a new inscription. They carry a statement of value, but are not legal tender because they were never monetized. And they’re frequently struck in metals other than the ones used in regular coins of the same denomination. The pattern half dollars were identical in design to the Liberty Seated halves then being issued for commerce – except for the addition of the motto “God Our Trust” above the eagle on the reverse. In all, about three dozen of these were made – some in silver and some in copper.

The motto was placed on a scroll on some of the coins, and written in small letters in the field above the eagle on the rest. The pattern $10 coins were struck in copper, rather than gold, some with bronzed surfaces. Only 11 of these are known to survive; a single specimen in gold has been reported but not confirmed. These had the same Liberty Head design as regular $10 gold pieces of that time, but the words “God Our Trust” appeared in the field above the eagle on the reverse. Although there was no official reason for producing any more, similar pattern half dollars and eagles were struck in somewhat higher quantities in both 1862 and 1863 – apparently to satisfy demand from numismatists who by then had become aware of the earlier patterns’ existence. There also are pattern silver dollars dated 1863 that are thought to have been made at a later time, as well as some pattern halves seemingly struck in a similar manner. Instead of “God Our Trust,” these bear the inscription “In God We Trust” above the eagle.

The Mint also produced a number of different patterns in 1863 for a proposed bronze two-cent piece – and it soon became apparent that such a coin, as a new denomination, would be a logical way to introduce an inscription that also was new. All forms of coinage vanished from circulation as the Civil War dragged on, largely because of speculative hoarding. The Union and Confederate governments both issued paper money, but this was widely distrusted and lost much of its value during the war – especially in the South, where Confederate notes eventually were used as wallpaper by many who found themselves holding the bags of worthless currency. The Two-cent Piece The motto “In God We Trust,” starting in 1864 on the 2 Cent Piece Enterprising merchants came up with a practical alternative: cent-sized bronze tokens which found wide acceptance in commerce. Noting that bronze was considerably cheaper than the copper-nickel alloy then being used to mint cents, Treasury officials hit upon the notion of switching to lighter-weight bronze cents and also decided to make bronze two-cent pieces to help re-establish coins in circulation. There had never been a two-cent piece in the nation’s prior history, but the concept was not entirely new.

Twice before, in 1806 and 1836, Congress had considered proposals for two-cent pieces made of billon – silver debased with a high percentage of copper. Both times, however, the plans had been rejected on the grounds that such coins would be easy to counterfeit. That was not an issue in 1863, and the urgent need for coinage made a persuasive case for issuing such a coin on that occasion. The mating of the two-cent piece with the motto “In God We Trust,” starting in 1864, seems to have been a marriage of convenience. Secretary Chase had been pondering the placement of some such wording on one or more of the nation’s coins ever since receiving the Rev. Watkinson’s letter early in the war, and production of patterns bearing possible mottos underscored the importance he placed on this objective. The two-cent piece made a perfect vehicle, for use of the motto there would cause no undue disruption or confusion. Initially, the Mint’s chief engraver, James Barton Longacre, fashioned two pattern two-cent pieces carrying not only dissimilar designs but also different inscriptions.

One of the patterns featured a right-facing portrait of George Washington on the obverse, along with the words “God and Our Country” above the bust. The other design – the one adopted – displayed a simple shield with crossed arrows running through and beneath it; above this, a scroll proclaimed: “God Our Trust.” In each case, the reverse was dominated by the statement of value “2 Cents” within a wreath of wheat, encircled by “United States of America.” “In God we trust” on all coinage 1876 Liberty Double Eagle Type II Type II $20 Liberty Double Eagles were minted only between 1866 and 1876 In 1866, the motto was added to the silver dollar, half dollar, quarter dollar and $20, $10 and $5 gold pieces (double eagle, eagle and half eagle). It also was used on the Shield nickel, which made its debut that year, and remained throughout the run of that coin – but then was omitted from both the Liberty Head and Buffalo nickels, finally reappearing on the five-cent piece when the Jefferson nickel was introduced in 1938.

It wasn’t used on the dime until 1916. It never appeared on the gold dollar and $3 gold piece, and wasn’t added to the $2½ gold piece (quarter eagle) until 1908. 26th President Theodore Roosevelt Roosevelt objected to the use of 'In God We Trust' on the nation's money as blasphemous An 1873 law – the same law, ironically, that eliminated the two-cent piece – reconfirmed that the motto was permitted but not required on coinage. The silver and nickel three-cent pieces and silver half dime never carried the motto. The short-lived Trade dollar, first issued in 1873, bore the inscription but the even shorter-lived twenty-cent piece, first issued in 1875, did not. In 1908, a law required that the words appear on U.S. coins, though the cent, nickel and dime were exempted because of their size. The Lincoln cent and Winged Liberty (“Mercury”) dime both carried the motto when they debuted in 1909 and 1916, respectively, even though its use on those coins was optional.

But the phrase wasn’t added to the nickel until 1938, at which point all U.S. coins carried the motto. All have done so ever since. The 1908 law resulted directly from a typically impulsive decision by President Theodore Roosevelt. It was Roosevelt who triggered a revolution in U.S. coinage art in the early 20th century, and his interest in coins extended not only to their artistry but also to the inscriptions they carried. He objected to the use of “In God We Trust” on the nation’s money as blasphemous and argued that it cheapened the motto, because the coins could be used for illegal and immoral purposes in less than pious environments. Public Law 140 Augustus Saint-Gaudens In 1907, Roosevelt ordered the Mint not to place the words on two new gold coins – the double eagle and eagle – designed by Augustus Saint-Gaudens. But Congress quickly overruled him and mandated use of the motto after the omission was detected, upon the coins’ release, by church groups and other dismayed Americans. Some $20 and $10 gold pieces dated 1908 carry the motto, while others do not.

Nearly half a century passed after that before the inscription was added to U.S. paper money. In 1955, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed a law requiring the motto on all U.S. paper money as well as all coinage. The phrase was added to paper currency in increments from 1957 to 1966. In 1956, the phrase was adopted as the United States’ official national motto. Matthew H. Rothert Sr An Arkansas businessman, Matthew H. Rothert Sr. – who clearly didn’t share Teddy Roosevelt’s concern about blasphemy – played a key role in getting the motto added to paper money. Rothert noticed in 1953 that the coins on a church collection plate bore the inscription “In God We Trust” but the paper money did not. He had a more than passing interest in coins and currency, for he was an avid numismatist who went on to serve as president of the American Numismatic Association, the national coin club, from 1965 to 1967.

It was Rothert’s belief that “a message about the country’s faith in God could be easily carried throughout the world if it were on United States paper currency.” 34th President Dwight D. Eisenhower He conveyed the idea to Treasury Secretary George W. Humphrey and started a letter-writing campaign that resulted in a deluge of letters to federal officials supporting the placement of “In God We Trust” on the nation’s currency. Public Law 140, requiring use of the motto on U.S. paper money, was introduced in the 84th Congress and signed into law by President Eisenhower on July 11, 1955. A year later, on July 30, 1956, Eisenhower signed a second bill establishing “In God We Trust” as the national motto. And one year after that, in October 1957, new $1 bills carrying the inscription became the first to enter circulation. By 1966, the words had been added to all of the nation’s paper money. Atheist Cents The Atheist Cent Not realizing this, critics – including Sarah Palin – denounced the supposed omission of the motto.

During an appearance at a right-to-life fund-raiser in November 2009, Palin brought up the presidential dollars and seemed to imply that someone in Washington had made a deliberate effort to downplay the importance of “In God We Trust” in the coins’ design. “Who calls a shot like that? Who makes a decision like that?” she asked rhetorically. “It’s a disturbing trend.” It was widely believed that Palin assumed the “omission” had been made by the Obama Administration. But, in fact, the placement of the motto on the edge of the presidential dollars had been determined while George Bush was president. Soon thereafter, the inscription was moved to a much more prominent location on the obverse of the coins. Some presidential dollars have indeed been “God-less” because they were struck by error with plain edges. Ironically, these coins enjoy substantial premiums over normal examples. Sarah Palin First Republican woman nominated for the vice-presidency. In 1970, a different kind of error involving “In God We Trust” appeared on small numbers of Lincoln cents made at the San Francisco Mint.

Part of the steel on one or more dies had broken off, causing metal to flow into the empty space this created on each coin when it was struck. As it happened, the resulting blob of metal – known to collectors as a “cud” – covered the words “We Trust” along the top edge of the obverse (or “heads” side) of each coin, leaving only “In God” visible. These mint error coins came to be known as “atheist cents” and stirred considerable interest at the time. They’re not great rarities, but they’re scarce enough to be worth a modest premium even now. The inclusion of “In God We Trust” on U.S. coins and paper money has long been a point of contention with certain segments of the American populace. It has been challenged in court a number of times as a violation of the Establishment Clause of the U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment and of the principle of separation of church and state. Critics charge that the phrase constitutes “respect for an establishment of religion” by the government. However, appeals courts have consistently held that such traditional, patriotic or ceremonial words do not amount to government sponsorship of a religious exercise or the establishment of a religion.

In all of these respects, it has been an important – and now indispensable – thread in the fabric of America’s national life. Copyright © 2011-2112 In God We Trust - All Rights Reserved · October 25, 2016 · We are doing a thing!! Join us and help protest In God We Trust! If you want to participate in the Great Stamp Out, send a picture or short video (25mb or less is preferred) to us via Facebook messenger or email it to stampitout@originalmotto.us. You do not need our stamp to participate. You can stamp out/erase/cover up “In God We Trust” however you see fit: an actual stamp, marker, crayon, etc. Feel free to be creative. The point is to erase “In God We Trust” in some way. We... will not use your name unless you want us to! Deadline for submissions will be November 18th.

Question: July 30, 1956 saw the adoption of what phrase as the official motto of the United States?
Answer: In God We Trust