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1 Robin Hartung Signature Assignment American History "In God We Trust” has been part of our heritage since July of 1955 when Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the law making it our nation’s official motto as well as ratifying that it be printed on all American paper currency. However, this was not a new phrase in the United States, it had been on coins since the Civil War during which time religion was at its peak. “In these days when imperialistic and materialistic communism seeks to attack and destroy freedom, we should continually look for ways to strengthen the foundations of our freedom,” said Charles E. Bennett (A member of the United States House of Representatives). Adding “In God We Trust” to currency, Bennett believed, would “serve as a constant reminder” that the nation’s political and economic fortunes were tied to its spiritual faith. (HistoryHouse, web) There was a political motivation behind this motto and it certainly wasn’t incorporated just to please God-fearing Americans. The mid- to late-1950s marked an intensification in the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union. Endeavoring to claim moral supremacy and demonize the communist Soviet Union, the U.S. capitailized on the affiliation of communism with atheism. Placing “In God We Trust” on the U.S. dollar was a way to establish the United States as a Christian nation and distinguish them from their enemy. In response to the Communist threat of the times, President Eisenhower encouraged Congress to incorporate the words "under God” into the Pledge of Allegiance. Prior to 2 February 1954, no endeavor to get the Pledge officially amended succeeded. The final triumphant push came from a pastor at a Presbyterian church in New York City named George MacPherson Docherty. On February 7, 1954 he delivered a sermon based on the Gettysburg Address titled "A New Birth of Freedom." He argued that the Nation's might lay not in arms but its spirit and higher purpose. He distinguished "there was something missing in the pledge, and that which was missing was the characteristic and definitive factor in the American way of life." He cited Lincoln's words "under God" as defining words that set the United States apart from other nations. President Eisenhower responded enthusiastically to Docherty in a conversation following the service. Acting on his suggestion the next day on February 8, 1954 he introduced a bill to that effect. Congress passed the necessary legislation and Eisenhower signed the bill into law on Flag Day, June 14, 1954. Eisenhower stated "From this day forward, the millions of our school children will daily proclaim in every city and town, every village and rural school house, the dedication of our nation and our people to the Almighty.... In this way we are reaffirming the transcendence of religious faith in America's heritage and future; in this way we shall constantly strengthen those spiritual weapons which forever will be our country's most powerful resource, in peace or in war." (Wade, Web) "Ignorance is preferable to error, and he is less remote from the truth who believes nothing than he who believes what is wrong." Thomas Jefferson (Notes on Virginia, 1782) The Declaration of Independence announced to the world the unanimous decision of 3 the thirteen American colonies to separate themselves from Great Britain. But its true revolutionary significance was the declaration of a new cornerstone of political legitimacy in the dominion of the people. The American’s final appeal was not to any man-made proclamation or evolving spirit but to rights immanently possessed by all men. These rights are found in eternal “Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God.” As such, the Declaration’s meaning surpasses the particulars of time and circumstances. The Declaration bases America and its government on truths such as human equality and certain “unalienable rights.” The truths are self-evident, not in the sense of being immediately discernable to everyone, but rather in presenting the most coherent conclusion of what enlightened humanity understands by being human. Although Jefferson believed in a Creator, his concept of it resembled that of the god of deism, or "Nature's God.” Jefferson rejected the superstitions and mysticism of Christianity and went so far as to edit the gospels, removing the miracles and mysticism of Jesus leaving only what he regarded the right moral philosophy of Jesus. (The Jefferson Bible) The circumstances of the Declaration’s writing make us recognize its exceptional claims even more. It had been more then two years into the war against Great Britain when the Continental Congress appointed a committee to explore the independence of the colonies from Great Britain. It was unanimously sanctioned on the evening of July 4. Every Fourth of July, America celebrates not the actual act of independence (proclaimed on July 2) but rather the public decree of the ethic behind the act. 4 REFERENCES “The Legislation Placing “In God We Trust” on National Currency.” History, Art & Archives. U.S. House of Representatives. Historyhouse.gov. March,2014.web. Wade,Lisa. “In God We Trust”: Communism, Atheism, & The U.S. Dollar.” The Society Pages. May 16, 2012. Web. 5