For America250, what was the United States’ national motto adopted by Congress in 1956?

“In God We Trust” was adopted as the national motto of the United States by Congress in 1956. President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the legislation on July 30 of that year.

The phrase had appeared on United States coins before becoming the official motto. Its use on currency expanded during the Civil War, when religious sentiment and concern about national unity influenced Treasury officials. The motto first appeared on a United States coin, the two-cent piece, in 1864.

The phrase is distinct from “E pluribus unum,” Latin for “Out of many, one,” which appeared on the Great Seal and many coins and remains a traditional national phrase. “In God We Trust” also appears on paper currency and coins, but its official designation as the national motto dates to 1956.