E pluribus unum

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E pluribus unum is included in the Great Seal of the United States

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" (e=out of, from; pluribus=many; unum=one). It referred to the integration of the 13 independent colonies into one united country, and has taken on an additional meaning, given the pluralistic nature of American society from immigration. 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 (God favors our beginning) and Novus Ordo Seclorum (a new order of the ages).

In 1956,E pluribus unum was superseded by "In God We Trust" as the national motto by United States Code, Title 36, Subtitle I, Part A, Chapter 3, Section 302. Both mottos are imprinted on all US coinage.

1 Origin of phrase
2 Other uses
3 See also
4 External links

[edit] Origin of phrase

The phrase originally came from Moretum, a poem attributed to Virgil though the actual author is unknown. Moretum is a type of salad, the poem closes with a list of the ingredients which are ground in a pestle.^{[citation needed]} The line reads, color est e pluribus unus which refers to the combining of many ingredients to make the one of soerm per dish.

In the case of the Founders, "E Pluribus unum" described the action of the many states coming together as one.

[edit] Other uses

hi hi hi hi hi 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.

In the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz, the Wizard, who was blown into Oz from a state fair in Kansas, never refers to the United States by name, but calls it "the land of 'e pluribus unum.'"

The phrase "Ex pluribus unum" is also found in Saint Augustine's Confessions (397 to 398 AD) 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 secedes from the U.S.A to form his own nation, only to repatriate later.

The meaning has been further interpreted to provide additional support for a pluralistic nature in America due to immigration.

Bugs Bunny is known to misquote it as "E Pluribus Uranium."

Rock band Grand Funk Railroad released an album called "E Pluribus Funk."

The term was also used for the integration of the minorities into the public American schools in the early 20th century.^{[citation needed]}