It’s interesting that the original Ben’s Guide to U.S. Symbols doesn’t include the national motto. After all, mottoes are among the more prominent national symbols. Moreover, the United States has two national mottoes!
In fact, these symbols are at the center of an embarrassing controversy.
The original motto is E pluribus unum, which is depicted on the Great Seal. It is a Latin phrase that translates “Out of many, one” or “One out of many.”
E pluribus unum originally referred to the thirteen colonies that united to form the United States. The motto even has thirteen letters!
But it has improved with age, now symbolizing a nation composed of many races and cultures. In the classic movie The Wizard of Oz, the Wizard even referred to the United States as “the land of E pluribus unum.”
About the time of the Civil War, the government began printing a new Motto, “In God We Trust,” on coins. Later, it was also printed on paper money. In 1956, it was designated the new national motto.
Ironically, no one asked the citizens their opinion; there was no public vote. Thus, the new motto is divisive, contributing to the great debate about the place of religion in government. What about Muslims, who refer to God as Allah, or atheists, who don’t believe in God at all?
For the time being, both mottoes appear on U.S. money. But only one is featured on the Great Seal, where it has been since 1776.
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