"In God We Trust"

In God We Trust is the official national motto of the United States and the U.S. state of Florida. This page lists state and national Mottos for the world's independent States The mottos for some states lacking general international recognition and The United States of America —commonly referred to as the A US state is any one of the fifty subnational entities of the United States of America that share Sovereignty with the federal government Florida ( is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the In God We Trust became the official U. S. national motto after the passage of an Act of Congress in 1956. Year 1956 ( MCMLVI) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. ^[1]

In God We Trust is also found on the flag of Georgia, flag of Florida, and the Seal of Florida. The current Flag of Georgia was adopted on May 8, 2003. The flag has three red and white stripes with the state Coat of arms The flag of Florida consists of a red Saltire (diagonal cross on a white background with the Seal of Florida superimposed on the center The Great Seal of the State of Florida is used to represent the Government of the State of Florida, and for various official purposes such as to seal official documents It was first adopted by the state of Georgia for use on flags in 2001, and subsequently included on the Georgia flag of 2003. The State of Georgia ( is a state in the United States and was one of the original Thirteen Colonies that revolted against British rule In Florida, it became the state motto during the term of Republican governor Jeb Bush, a Roman Catholic, who signed the bill making it so into law. Florida ( is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the John Ellis "Jeb" Bush (born February 11, 1953) is an American Politician and was the 43rd Governor of Florida Starting in 2007, the phrase can also be found on the license plates of Indiana, North Carolina, South Carolina and Ohio (it can be selected among offered designs). A vehicle registration plate is a metal or plastic plate attached to a Motor vehicle or trailer for official identification purposes The State of Indiana ( was the 19th US state admitted into the union North Carolina ( is a state located on the Atlantic Seaboard in the southeastern United States South Carolina ( is a state in the southern region ( Deep South) of the United States of America. Ohio ( is a Midwestern state of the United States. As part of the Great Lakes region, Ohio has long been a cultural and geographical crossroads On May 28, 2008, Florida governor Charlie Crist signed into law Senate Bill 734, which amended the state's specialty license plates law (320. Charles Joseph "Charlie" Crist Jr (born July 24 1956 is an American politician of the Republican Party and the current Governor of Florida. 08056) to include an "In God We Trust" automobile license plate as an option for residents.

History

The motto E Pluribus Unum, ("from many, one") was approved for use on the Great Seal of the United States in 1782. E pluribus unum, Latin for "Out of Many One" is a motto found on the Seal of the United States, along with Annuit cœptis and The Great Seal of the United States is used to authenticate certain documents issued by the United States federal government. It still appears on coins and currency, and was widely considered the national motto de facto. A currency is a unit of exchange, facilitating the transfer of Goods and/or services It is one form of Money, where money is However, by 1956 it had not been established so by legislation as the official "national motto", and therefore "In God We Trust" was selected. God is the principal or sole Deity in Religions and other belief systems that worship one deity. Hence, the Congressional Record of 1956 reads: "At the present time the United States has no national motto. The Congressional Record is the official record of the proceedings and debates of the United States Congress. The committee deems it most appropriate that 'In God we trust' be so designated as U. S. national motto. "^[1]

One possible origin of In God We Trust is the final stanza of The Star-Spangled Banner. " The Star-Spangled Banner " is the National anthem of the United States of America Written in 1814 by Francis Scott Key (and later adopted as the U. Francis Scott Key ( August 1, 1779 &ndash January 11, 1843) was an American Lawyer, author and amateur S. national anthem), the song contains an early reference to a variation of the phrase: ". A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history traditions and struggles of its people recognized either by a nation's . . And this be our motto: 'In God is our trust'. "

History on currency

As excerpted from the United States Treasury Department's public education website:^[2]

The motto In God We Trust was placed on United States coins largely because of the increased religious sentiment existing during the American Civil War. The United States Department of the Treasury is a Cabinet department and the Treasury of the United States government. United States coinage was first minted by the new republic in 1792 Causes of the war See also Origins of the American Civil War, Timeline of events leading to the American Civil War The coexistence of a slave-owning South Secretary of the Treasury Salmon P. Chase received many appeals from devout Christians throughout the country, urging that the United States recognize God on United States coins. Salmon Portland Chase ( January 13, 1808 – May 7, 1873) was an American politician and jurist in the Civil War era Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings From Treasury Department records, it appears that the first such appeal came in a letter dated November 13, 1861. Events 1002 - English king Ethelred orders the killing of all Danes in England, known today as the St Year 1861 ( MDCCCLXI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common It was written to Secretary Salmon P. Chase by Reverend M. Salmon Portland Chase ( January 13, 1808 – May 7, 1873) was an American politician and jurist in the Civil War era R. Watkinson, Minister of the Gospel from Ridley Township, Pennsylvania, and read:

Dear Sir: You are about to submit your annual report to the Congress respecting the affairs of the national finances. This article is about the canonical books of the New Testament Ridley Township is a township in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States.
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. Goddesses named for and representing the concept Liberty have existed in many cultures including classical examples dating from the Roman Empire and some national symbols such A halo (ἅλως also known as a nimbus, Aureole, glory, or gloriole) is a ring of light that surrounds a person in art
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.

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. James Pollock ( September 11, 1810 April 19 1890) was the governor of the State of Pennsylvania from 1855 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 Congress. A mint is an industrial facility which manufactures Coins for Currency. The United States Congress is the bicameral Legislature of the federal government of the United States of America, consisting of two houses In December 1863, the Director of the Mint submitted designs for a 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 the 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.

1864 two cent coin with motto

Congress passed the Coinage Act (1864) on April 22, 1864. The Coinage Act of 1864, a United States federal law, changed the composition of the one-cent coin and authorized the minting of the two-cent coin Events 1500 - Portuguese Navigator Pedro Álvares Cabral becomes the first European to sight Brazil. Year 1864 ( MDCCCLXIV) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year This legislation changed the composition of the one-cent coin and authorized the minting of the two-cent coin. In many national currencies, the cent is a monetary unit that equals 1/100 of the basic monetary unit Mintage Figures 1864-19847500 1865-13640000 1866-3177000 1867-2938750 1868-2803750 1869-1546500 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 the United States Congress passed on March 3, 1865 which 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. The United States Congress is the bicameral Legislature of the federal government of the United States of America, consisting of two houses Events 1284 - Statute of Rhuddlan incorporated the Principality of Wales into England 1575 - Indian Year 1865 ( MDCCCLXV) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Gold (ˈɡoʊld is a Chemical element with the symbol Au (from its Latin name aurum) and Atomic number 79 Silver (ˈsɪlvɚ is a Chemical element with the symbol " Ag " (argentum from the Ancient Greek: ἀργήντος - argēntos gen " Under the Act, the motto was placed on the gold Double Eagle coin, the gold Eagle coin, and the gold Half Eagle coin. A Double Eagle is a Gold coin of the United States with a denomination of $20 The eagle was a base-unit of denomination issued only for Gold coinage by the United States Mint. The Half Eagle is a United States Coin that was produced from 1795 to 1929 It was also placed on the silver dollar coin, the half dollar coin and the quarter dollar coin, and on the nickel five-cent coin beginning in 1866. The half dollar of the United States, sometimes known as the fifty-cent piece, has been produced nearly every year since the inception of the United States A quarter dollar is a coin worth 1/4 of a United States dollar, or 25 cents. The United States five- cent Coin, commonly called a nickel, is a unit of Currency equaling one-twentieth or five hundredths of a Later, Congress passed the Fourth Coinage Act of February 12, 1873. The Fourth Coinage Act was enacted by the United States Congress in 1873 and embraced the Gold standard and de-monetized Silver. Events 1429 - English Forces under Sir John Fastolf defend a supply convoy carrying rations to the army besieging Orleans from attack by the Year 1873 ( MDCCCLXXIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common 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 gold Double Eagle coin and the gold Eagle 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. Events 1152 - Henry II of England marries Eleanor of Aquitaine. Year 1908 ( MCMVIII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year Therefore, the motto was not mandatory on the one-cent and five-cent coins, but it could be placed on them by the Secretary of the Treasury or the Mint Director with the Secretary's approval. The United States Secretary of the Treasury is the head of the United States Department of the Treasury, concerned with finance and monetary matters, and until

American presidents such as Theodore Roosevelt strongly disapproved of the idea of evoking God within the context of a "cheap" political motto. Theodore Roosevelt (ˈroʊzəvɛlt October 27 1858 January 6 1919 also known as T In a letter to William Boldly on November 11, 1907, President Roosevelt wrote: "My own feeling in the matter is due to my very firm conviction that to put such a motto on coins, or to use it in any kindred manner, not only does no good but does positive harm, and is in effect irreverence, which comes dangerously close to sacrilege. Events 308 - The Congress of Carnuntum: Attempting to keep peace within the Roman Empire, the leaders of the Tetrarchy declare Year 1907 ( MCMVII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Sacrilege is the violation or injurious treatment of a sacred object . . it seems to me eminently unwise to cheapen such a motto by use on coins, just as it would be to cheapen it by use on postage stamps, or in advertisements. A postage stamp is an adhesive paper evidence of pre-paying a fee for postal services Advertising is a form of Communication that typically attempts to persuade potential Customers to Purchase or to consume more of a particular Brand "

Despite historical opposition, the motto has been in continuous use on the one-cent coin since 1909 and on the ten-cent dime since 1916. In many national currencies, the cent is a monetary unit that equals 1/100 of the basic monetary unit The dime is a coin worth Ten cents, or one tenth of a United States dollar. It also has appeared on all gold coins and silver dollar coins, half-dollar coins, and quarter-dollar coins struck since July 1, 1908. "July 1st" redirects here For the Ayumi Hamasaki song see H (song. Year 1908 ( MCMVIII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year

A 1934-A five-dollar silver certificate (top image is the obverse of the certificate, bottom image is the reverse of the certificate).

In God We Trust was first used on paper money in 1957 when it appeared on the one-dollar Silver Certificate. Silver Certificates were printed for a time in the United States as a form of Paper currency. The first paper currency bearing the motto entered circulation on October 1, 1957. Events 331 BC - Alexander the Great defeats Darius III of Persia in the Battle of Gaugamela. Year 1957 ( MCMLVII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1957 Gregorian calendar) The Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) was converting to the dry intaglio printing process. The Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP is a government agency within the United States Department of the Treasury that designs and produces a variety Intaglio (pronounced in-TAL-yo ɪn'tælɪəʊ is a family of Printmaking techniques in which the image is incised into a surface known as the matrix or plate 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. Intaglio (pronounced in-TAL-yo ɪn'tælɪəʊ is a family of Printmaking techniques in which the image is incised into a surface known as the matrix or plate 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. Silver Certificates were printed for a time in the United States as a form of Paper currency.

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.

On March 7, 2007, the U.S Mint reported an unknown amount of new George Washington dollar coins mistakenly struck without the edge inscriptions, including "In God We Trust. Events 161 - Roman Emperor Antoninus Pius dies and is succeeded by co-Emperors Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. The United States Mint primarily produces circulating coinage for the United States to conduct its Trade and Commerce. George Washington (February 22 1732 December 14 1799 served as the first President of the United States of America (1789&ndash1797 and led the " These coins have been in circulation since February 15, 2007 and it has been estimated by some experts that at least 50,000 of them were put in circulation. Events 590 - Khosrau II is crowned as king of Persia 1637 - Ferdinand III becomes Holy Roman Emperor Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. The coin rapidly became a collector's item as well as a source for conspiracy theorists. For the record label see Collectables Records For the Ashanti album see Collectables by Ashanti A collectable A conspiracy theory attributes the ultimate cause of an event or chain of events (usually Political, Social or Historical events or the concealment ^[3][4]

Adopted as National Motto

A law was passed by the 84th United States Congress (P. The Eighty-fourth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government composed of the United States Senate and L. 84-140) and approved by the President on July 30, 1956. The President of the United States is the Head of state and Head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in United States by Events 1419 - First Defenestration of Prague. 1502 - Christopher Columbus lands at Guanaja in the Bay Islands off Year 1956 ( MCMLVI) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. President Dwight D. Eisenhower approved a joint resolution declaring In God We Trust the national motto of the United States. Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (October 14 1890 – March 28 1969 was President of the United States from 1953 until 1961 and a five-star general ^[1] The same Congress had required, in the previous year, that the words appear on all currency, as a Cold War measure: "In these days when imperialistic and materialistic Communism seeks to attack and destroy freedom, it is proper" to "remind all of us of this self-evident truth" that "as long as this country trusts in God, it will prevail. Cold War is the state of conflict tension and competition that existed between the United States and the Soviet Union (USSR and their respective allies from the " ^[5]

Controversy

Use of the motto on circulating coinage is required by law. While several laws come into play, the act of May 18, 1908 is most often cited as requiring the motto (even though the cent and nickel were excluded from that law, and the nickel did not have the motto added until 1938). Events 1152 - Henry II of England marries Eleanor of Aquitaine. Year 1908 ( MCMVIII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year Since 1938, all coins have borne the motto. The use of the motto was permitted, but not required, by an 1873 law. The motto was added to paper money over a period from 1957 to 1966.

A circulated $1 bill with "In God We Trust" marked out with a custom-made stamp

Today, the motto is a source of some heated contention. A controversy or dispute is a commencement of a conflict between statements of accepted fact and a new or unaccepted proposal that disagrees with argues against Opponents of the phrase argue that the First Amendment and the "wall of separation between church and state" require that the motto be removed from all governmental use, including on coins and paper money. The First Amendment to the United States Constitution is part of the United States Bill of Rights that expressly prohibits the United States Congress The Separation of church and state is a legal and political principle derived from the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, which reads "Congress ^[6][7] They argue that religious freedom includes the right not to believe in the existence of deities and that the gratuitous use of the motto infringes upon the religious rights of those whose beliefs do not include a god. A religion is a set of Tenets and practices often centered upon specific Supernatural and moral claims about Reality, the Cosmos Some activists have been known to cross out the motto on paper money as a form of protest. ^[8]

On the other hand, United States President Theodore Roosevelt argued against placing the motto on coinage, not because he lacked faith in God, but because he thought it sacrilegious to put the name of God on something so common as money. ^[9]

Popular culture references

Some shops in the United States have displayed jocular signs reading "In God we trust — All others pay cash. " This was also used by humorist Jean Shepherd for the title of his 1966 book In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash. Jean Parker Shepherd ( July 26, 1921 - October 16, 1999) was an American Raconteur, Radio and TV personality In God We Trust All Others Pay Cash ( 1966, ISBN 0-385-02174-7 is the title of a book by Jean Shepherd. The sentence is parodied in an episode "Deep Space Homer" of the The Simpsons when an Inanimate Carbon Rod saves the day and is featured on the front-page of Time with the slogan "In Rod We Trust. " Deep Space Homer " is the fifteenth episode of The Simpsons ' fifth season and first aired on February 24 1994 Time (trademarked in capitals as TIME) is a weekly American Newsmagazine, similar to Newsweek and " Another religious themed episode (Season 8, Episode 22) is titled "In Marge We Trust. " In Marge We Trust " is the twenty-second episode of The Simpsons ' eighth season, which originally aired April 27 1997 "

In Chris Rock's Never Scared HBO Special, he made references to the motto to illustrate his point that Americans worship money, declaring, "All my life I've been looking for God, and he's right in my pocket!"

In Chuck E. Cheese's restaurants, the 3-Stage, the 2-Stage, and the 1-Stage said "In Pizza We Trust'". Christopher Julius Rock III (born February 7, 1965) is an American Comedian, Actor, Screenwriter, Television Never Scared is the fourth comedy album by Chris Rock. It was recorded at DAR Constitution Hall in Washington D Chuck E Cheese's is a chain of family entertainment centers The concept centers around a basic sit-down Pizza restaurant complemented by Arcade games It offended some people so they painted over the "In Pizza We Trust" slogan with red, white, and blue. Red is any of a number of similar Colors evoked by light consisting predominantly of the longest wavelengths of Light discernible by the human eye in the wavelength White is a Color, the perception which is evoked by Light that stimulates all three types of color sensitive Cone cells in the Human eye Blue is a Colour, the Perception of which is evoked by

See also

• Aronow v. United States
• Ceremonial deism
• Elk Grove Unified School District v. Newdow
• The United States dollar
• Gott mit uns

Notes

References

• This article incorporates text from Fact Sheets: Currency & Coins, U. S. Department of the Treasury, a public domain work of the United States Government. The public domain is a range of abstract materials &ndash commonly referred to as Intellectual property &ndash which are not owned or controlled by anyone A work of the United States government, as defined by United States copyright law, is "a work prepared by an officer or employee of the U
• "The U.S. National Mottos: Their history & constitutionality"

External links

• When and why was "In God We Trust" placed on U.S. currency
• Final answer? Not quite as star gets second chance to play for a million - article in The Guardian about a disputed quiz question about the motto of the United States. The Guardian (until 1959 The Manchester Guardian) is a British Newspaper owned by the Guardian Media Group.