THE HISTORY OF ‘IN GOD WE TRUST’

On this day in 1956, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed into law a bill declaring “In God We Trust” to become the nation’s official motto. Under the legislation, Congress further mandated that the phrase be printed (in capital letters) on every domination of U.S. paper currency.

It serves as a replacement and, in some cases, an alternative, to an earlier unofficial Latin motto of E pluribus unum (“Out of Many One”), which was adopted when the Second Confederation Congress created the Great Seal of the United States in 1782.

The motto first appeared on U.S. coins in 1864, during the Civil War, when religious sentiment reached a peak, according to the historical association of the U.S. Treasury.

In 1908, Congress had mandated that the phrase be printed on all coins upon which it had previously appeared. This decision was motivated after a public outcry following the release of a $20 coin which did not bear the motto. It has been in continuous use on 1-cent coin since 1909, and on the 10-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. It disappeared from 5-cent coins in 1883 and did not appear again until production of the Jefferson nickel began in 1938. Since then, all U.S. coins have borne the motto.

The first paper currency bearing the motto entered circulation Oct. 1, 1957, when it appeared on the $1 silver certificate. Gradually, as new indigo printing processes were perfected, the motto was printed on all currency denominations. The initial idea of adding the motto to paper currency came from George Humphrey, Eisenhower’s treasury secretary.

To read the complete article, see:
‘In God We Trust’ becomes nation’s motto, July 30, 1956 (https://www.politico.com/story/2018/07/30/in-god-we-trust-becomes-nations-motto-july-30-1956-741016)

The U.S. Capitol's 'In God We Trust' plaque

To read the complete article, see:
The complex history of ‘In God We Trust’ (https://theconversation.com/the-complex-history-of-in-god-we-trust-91117)

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