E Pluribus Unum

The Latin phrase e pluribus unum is a well-known saying in the United States that means “out of many, one.” It was first used in America in the 1700s when it was impressed upon the country’s Great Seal. However, the origins of the phrase go back much farther than that.

E pluribus unum is a symbol in the United States and represents the ideals of the country. Many people and groups use the phrase to represent America, its culture, and its history, but it is not the official motto of the United States—a distinction that has caused confusion and controversy over the years. Nevertheless, the phrase continues to be an important part of American history.

The History of E Pluribus Unum

In 1776, representatives from the American colonies met during the Continental Congress, a series of meetings to help establish the country. The representatives had much on their agenda to discuss, including the symbols that would represent the country’s most important values. Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and John Adams decided during the Continental Congress to work together to make a Great Seal for the United States, but this proved to be no easy task.

Work on the Great Seal began in 1776 but was not completed until 1782. Translating America's principles and ideals into a graphic proved to be challenging. The men designing the seal chose the colors, images, and words very carefully to ensure that they correctly represented the country. Many different designs were discussed, and e pluribus unum was included in most of them. The final design included, among other things, an eagle clutching a scroll with the phrase e pluribus unum on it. The phrase was intended to show the joining of the thirteen separate colonies into one, unified nation. With that, the phrase e pluribus unum became the motto of the country’s Great Seal.

Although the phrase e pluribus unum was first used in the 1770s in the United States, the phrase had been used in other contexts even earlier. Some researchers have found similar phrases used in the works of early authors Vergil and Horace—but no one knows for sure if the phrase we use today was created by either author. Nevertheless, the phrase can be traced back to at least 1731, when it appeared in The Gentleman’s Magazine, which was published in England. This publication was brought to the colonies before the Revolutionary War began. It is thought that the magazine used the phrase e pluribus unum to show that any reader could find something of interest in the magazine because it was comprised of so many different pieces.

Modern Use of E Pluribus Unum

The United States continues to use the phrase e pluribu unum today. People see the phrase each time the Great Seal is used to symbolize the nation on official documents. The phrase is also printed on the US one-dollar bill.

E pluribu unum also continues to be an important part of American language in other ways. For example, the US Capitol Visitor Center has an exhibition called “E Pluribus Unum—Out of Many One.” The exhibit tells the story of the United States Congress and the capitol. The US Treasury also used the phrase as its theme for its 2007 to 2012 strategic plan. The phrase was meant to remind the Department of the Treasury that its various offices and branches must work together to serve the American people. A number of organizations outside the government also use the phrase to infer patriotism and national pride. For example, the Migration Policy Institute awards the E Pluribus Unum Prizes, which honor people who have worked to promote immigrant integration.

E Pluribus Unum Not the Official US Motto

A motto is a sentence or phrase inscribed upon something or followed by a group of people representing its character. The phrase e pluribus unum is the motto of the Great Seal—but it is not the motto of the United States. For many years, people used the phrase as an unofficial motto for the country, but Congress created an official motto that took the place of e pluribus unum. In the 1950s, the United States began using the phrase “In God We Trust” on all currency, or money. Then, in 1956, Congress passed a law that made the country’s official motto “In God We Trust.”

The fact that e pluribus unum is the motto of the Great Seal but not of the United States has caused confusion and even led to controversy. In 2010, President Barack Obama gave a speech in which he referred to e pluribus unum as the country’s motto. Republicans in Congress were upset by President Obama’s use of the wrong motto, which they took to be a calculated move on the president’s part to avoid using the country’s official motto “In God We Trust.” Some members of Congress wrote the president a letter expressing concerns about his speech.

Bibliography

Dinan, Stephen. “Obama Muffed U.S. Motto.” Washington Times. 10 Dec. 2010. Web. 20 Oct. 2014. http://www.washingtontimes.com/blog/inside-politics/2010/dec/6/obama-muffed-us-motto/

“E Pluribus Unum Prizes.” Migration Policy Institute. Web. 20 Oct. 2014. http://integrationawards.migrationpolicy.org/

“Exhibit Hall at the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center.” U.S. Capitol Visitor Center. Web. 20 Oct. 2014. http://www.visitthecapitol.gov/exhibition-hall-us-capitol-visitor-center#.VEexlfnF-So

“The Great Seal of the United States.” U.S. Department of States’ Bureau of Public Affairs. Washington, DC, July 2003. PDF. Web. 20 Oct. 2014. http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/27807.pdf

Harris, W. C. E Pluribus Unum: Nineteenth-Century American Literature and the Constitutional Paradox. University of Iowa Press, Iowa City. 2005. Print.

“In God We Trust.” United States Mint. Web. 20 Oct. 2014. http://www.usmint.gov/about‗the‗mint/fun‗facts/?action=fun‗facts5