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Wear the message
A small collection of shirts will make the mark visible in ordinary public spaces and help support the next round of project materials.
The motto
Out of many, one.
E Pluribus Unum is Latin for “Out of many, one.” It describes a union formed from distinct states, communities, histories, and people without asking them to become identical.
Present from the founding era
The phrase entered the design of the Great Seal during the nation’s earliest years and appeared on the seal adopted by Congress in 1782. It later became familiar on official documents, government symbols, and American coins.
For generations, E Pluribus Unum functioned as the country’s de facto motto. In 1956, Congress formally established “In God We Trust” as the national motto, but the older phrase remained on the Great Seal and in public life.
A continuing promise
The words do not claim that unity is automatic. They set a standard: difference is real, disagreement is inevitable, and the work of building a shared country still belongs to all of us.
