Why did the U.S. adopt the motto "In God We Trust" in 1956?

The United States adopted the motto "In God We Trust" in 1956 during the Cold War era. At the time, the U.S. was in a geopolitical and ideological conflict with the Soviet Union, which promoted state atheism. The adoption of the motto was part of a broader domestic effort to distinguish the U.S. from the communist philosophy of the Soviet Union by emphasizing the religious aspects of American life.

The phrase "In God We Trust" actually appeared on U.S. coins long before it became the national motto. It first appeared on the two-cent coin in 1864, during the Civil War, largely due to increased religious sentiment and calls from the public to recognize the Deity on U.S. currency.

In the 1950s, as the U.S. sought to showcase its ideological differences with the Soviet Union, Congress passed a joint resolution declaring "In God We Trust" the national motto. President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the law on July 30, 1956, thereby making it official.

In essence, the motto's adoption was symbolic—it was used to promote the values of faith and religious freedom that were seen as central to American identity and to contrast those values with the atheism associated with communism.