SR1523 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR1523 LRB099 19976 MST 44375 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, "In God We Trust" is the official motto of the United States of America; and

WHEREAS, The phrase appears to have originated in "The Star-Spangled Banner", written during the War of 1812; during the American Civil War, the 125th Pennsylvania Infantry for the Union Army assumed the motto as a battle cry on September 17, 1862 during the Battle of Antietam; the motto first appeared on U.S. coins in 1864; and

WHEREAS, In 1956, the United States and the Soviet Union were in the midst of the Cold War and the U.S. wished to distinguish itself from the Soviet Union, who promoted state atheism; the 84th Congress passed a joint resolution declaring "In God We Trust" as the national motto of the country, which was signed into law by President Eisenhower on July 30, 1956; and

WHEREAS, Following the September 11, 2011 terrorist attacks, many public schools across the United States posted "In God We Trust" framed posters in their libraries, cafeterias, and classrooms; and

WHEREAS, In 2006, on the 50th anniversary of its adoption, the United States Senate reaffirmed "In God We Trust" as the official national motto of the country; in 2011, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a similar resolution; and

WHEREAS, The phrase has been incorporated into many hymns and religious and patriotic songs, and continues to be used in countless areas of American life; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we reaffirm that the national motto of the United States of America is, and should continue to be, "In God We Trust" and we encourage its use by the citizens of the State of Illinois.