E pluribus unum
E pluribus unum was one of the first national mottos of the
United States of America. Translated from
Latin, it means "From many, one" or "Out of many, one" . It referred to the integration of the
13 independent colonies into one united country. The motto itself has thirteen letters. The motto was selected by the first
Great Seal committee in 1776, at the beginning of the
American Revolution. Pierre Eugene DuSimitire originally suggested
E pluribus unum as the motto.
Encyclopedia
E pluribus unum was one of the first national mottos of the
United States of America. Translated from
Latin, it means "From many, one" or "Out of many, one" . It referred to the integration of the
13 independent colonies into one united country. The motto itself has thirteen letters. The motto was selected by the first
Great Seal committee in 1776, at the beginning of the
American Revolution. Pierre Eugene DuSimitière originally suggested
E pluribus unum as the motto. When the Continental Congress approved this motto for the Great Seal in 1782, they simultaneously approved two other mottos:
Annuit Coeptis and Novus Ordo Seclorum .
In 1956, "
In God We Trust" became the national motto according to United States Code, Title 36, Subtitle I, Part A, Chapter 3, Section 302. Both mottos are imprinted on all
US coinage.
Origin of phrase
The phrase originally came from
Moretum, a poem attributed to
Virgil but with the actual author unknown, on the subject of a cheese, garlic and herb recipe. In the poem text,
color est e pluribus unus describes the blending of colors into one.
Other uses
This motto was well known to literate Americans of the 18th century. It appeared in the
Gentleman's Magazine, published monthly in Brixton, London since 1731. The legend "E pluribus unum" was used on the title pages of the annual volumes that contained a collection of the year's twelve editions of the magazine.
The phrase is also found in Saint Augustine's Confessions book IV, describing friendship.
It is also the motto of the
Portuguese soccer club
Sport Lisboa e Benfica.
The phrase influenced "E Peterbus Enum", the title of an episode of
Family Guy, where
Peter Griffin sucedes from the U.S.A to form his own nation, only to repatriot later.
The meaning has been further interpreted to provide additional support for a pluralistic nature in America due to immigration.
See also
- All for one, and one for all
External links
