May 18, 1908: Congress mandates use of "In God We Trust"

History.com ^ | May 18, 2006 | anon

[fgoodwin]

May 18, 1908: Congress mandates use of "In God We Trust"

http://www.historychannel.com/tdih/tdih.jsp?category=wallstreet&month=10272957&day=10272983 http://tinyurl.com/lxte6

In a move that seemingly flew in the face of America's founding belief in the separation of church and state, Congress passed legislation on this day in 1908 that made the maxim "In God We Trust" an obligatory element of certain coins.

The motto dates back to the early 1860s, when the Civil War stirred religious feelings throughout the nation. America's heightened piety manifested itself in many places, including the treasury department, which received countless letters requesting that the nation's coins pay some form of tribute to God. Concerned citizens and religious leaders found a fast friend in Treasury Secretary Salmon P. Chase, who readily agreed that the "trust of our people in God should be declared on our national coins." James Pollock, director of the U.S. Mint at Philadelphia, was charged with devising a suitable motto.

After some key revisions from Chase, Pollock decided upon the now-familiar "In God We Trust."

[Alex Murphy]

Ping for reference. Not that the History Channel has a good track record reporting on religious history....

[Barney Gumble]

In a move that seemingly flew in the face of America's founding belief in the separation of church and state

Ummm.... another misrepresentation of the First Amendment.

[polymuser]

American piety.

Imagine...

[polymuser]

It's too bad Jefferson didn't instead write (the Baptists) "the elimination of state from church".

[Machfour]

"In a move that seemingly flew in the face of America's founding belief in the separation of church and state"

Separation of church and state as interpreted today is 180 degrees out of phase with the beliefs of the founders.

Interesting how the 1947 Supreme Court put the founders intent, for the first amendment, into law after 150 years.

[onedoug]

"Liberty", "E Pluribus Unum", "In God We Trust", on every coin.

[MuddyWaters2006]

Is you one o dem fellers dat sez the founders don't wanted de religion not to mix wif de goberment?

[Barney Gumble]

Is you one o dem fellers dat sez the founders don't wanted de religion not to mix wif de goberment?

Nope. BTW, can we speak English?

[Inexplicable]

In a move that seemingly flew in the face of America's founding belief in the separation of church and state

Ummm.... another misrepresentation of the First Amendment.

Barney, why do you say the statement is misrepresentative of the amendment, when it does not even mention the First Amendment?

[Inexplicable]

I favor restoring the Separation of Church and State to the way it was before the Civil War when Congress respected God’s authority over religion and abstained from insulting the Almighty by making him the object of human legislation, such as the 1864 law that put “In God We Trust” on the nation’s coins.