When did the US start printing "In God We Trust" on their paper currency (and why).
The imagined *customer* needs 3 sources to cite:
(1) free, reliable, available-to-all online;
(2) library-subscription e-ref resource/database;
(3) print ref resource/book.
3 comments:
Found this article in the American History and Life database. I tried a couple of reference databases, Encyclopedia Britannica and Fact Search using "in god we trust" as a keyword search phrase. Nothing significant popped up. I found the American History and Life database and applied the same keyword search to yield this article.
Fisher, Louis, and Nada Mourtada-Sabbah. "Adopting 'in God we Trust' as the U.S. National Motto." Journal of Church & State; Autumn2002, Vol. 44 Issue 4, p671, 22p. Accessed via American History and Life on 6/8/07.
-Adam
For once, I was actually pleased with the first Google search result; since it's a fact sheet from the US Treasury, and they make the money, I'll take their word, and they were kind enough to include lots of relevant dates of acts passed by Congress, and even a PL number at one point!
http://www.treas.gov/education/fact-sheets/currency/in-god-we-trust.shtml
Hi Sarah, great find via Google! What keywords did you use? Especially because you mention that it was the first search result.
All the info/history about the motto being on coins almost 100 years longer is good to know.
Interesting though, I keep hearing from people, when I ask them whether they know how long etc. etc...., that putting the motto on our paper currency had to do with setting the US apart from the Communists, and the US Treasury site does not seem to say anything about that. (Correct me if I am wrong. Could be I missed it.) But it seemed to me that suddenly all the focus is on printing methods and presses and engraving plates. Nothing about why suddenly in 1956 Congress and the President decided to declare IN GOD WE TRUST the national motto of the US. Interesting.
Sorry, Adam, haven't had a chance yet to check out your find/source. And I had better finally put some of my own time into searching. :-)
Thank you both for participating.
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