‘E Pluribus Unum’ Means That We’re One People
This opinion piece traces the Latin motto “E pluribus unum”-“out of many, one”-from its 1776 origin on the Grate Seal through its inscription on U.S. coinage, arguing it embodies a shared culture, values, and commitment to the Constitution that united the original colonies. The author contends that those founding principles require respect and assimilation, and criticizes current immigration patterns and Biden-era border policies as allowing people who do not assimilate or who exploit social services to enter and remain in the country. Using religious and past references, the piece frames such newcomers as threats to American culture and calls for enforcement actions, including deportation handled by ICE, to preserve national unity.The article is explicitly opinionated and partisan; it concludes that “E pluribus unum” should not be interpreted as applying to everyone and emphasizes defending the nation’s cultural and constitutional heritage. The author is Beth Brelje, an elections correspondent for The Federalist.
Despite our march toward electronic money, an important message is still jingling in pockets across America, “E pluribus unum.” The Latin phrase stamped on coins and bills means “Out of many, one.” It was coined in 1776 for the original design of the Great Seal of the United States. The Founding Fathers wanted to underscore the 13 colonies that came together as a single nation. Since then, it has come to include many different people forming one nation.
It is a concept so important that in the Coinage Act of 1873, Congress required “E pluribus unum” be inscribed on every coin, along with “In God We Trust.” We should take these mottos seriously.
“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also,” the Bible reads in Matthew 6:21. Placing the motto on our money elevates its importance and serves as a reminder, in an era where many have forgotten, what it means to be one.
E pluribus unum is a memorial to the collective struggle of the original 13 colonies and the acknowledgement that they shared a culture, traditions, and a similar concern that their rights were being threatened by a tyrannical British Crown. Those similarities brought them together as a new nation and kept them together.
The founders still mourned the bloody cost of the American Revolution — an unwanted task they were forced to endure, to establish freedom and hope for prosperity defined on their own terms.
What was true then is still true today: The culture and values behind the Constitution define who we are and preserve our freedom. The U.S. is not for people who don’t respect that.
“Out of many, one,” is not the same as “Everyone becomes one.” We are not open to all comers.
Today, many have come to the U.S. for the wrong reasons. They expect the U.S. “As seen on T.V.” and assume everyone is living on Easy Street. The word around the globe during the Biden Era was free food, housing, and healthcare can be had if you can get across the border. And another unwritten message: Your criminal enterprise will flourish in our sanctuary cities.
We will never become one with those who bilk our social services and who refuse to assimilate. Even if they are granted citizenship, or are elected to office, how can we call them one of us while they work against American values.
Long before the inception of entitlements, early Americans came to build the country. They settled in communities and forged the nation in wagon trains. It was not always pretty. There were wars, violent battles with natives, Indian schools, slavery, and plenty of heartbreak and shameful moments.
But ultimately, our forefathers built a nation that is a shining example to those yearning to be free. It does not work if most of the newcomers are just yearning to be freeloaders. Nor does it work if too many come too fast, and their failed culture upsets the proven U.S. culture they wish to take advantage of.
Our foundation was built by brave men who knew the value of liberty and were willing to fight to the death for it.
That is not who comes to the U.S. today. Instead of organizing in their home countries and demanding freedom, they slink across U.S. borders to live their culture under the cover of our liberty. They are not brave. They don’t come to serve, build, or contribute. They are not cut from the same cloth as America’s founders. Neither are the leftists who seek to protect them from deportation.
Absent border policies under Joe Biden allowed the nation to be flooded with people who have no respect for our culture and have no desire to assimilate. Now Americans face an unwanted task. We must remove those who are pulling the U.S. away from our culture. It is messy and uncomfortable. Thank God we have Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to handle the difficult task instead of today’s ordinary U.S. citizens engaging in a modern-day Revolutionary War.
At nearly 250 years, this is not the first time the United States has been tested, but as time passes, we forget the cost of our freedom. We must stand boldly and say, “No!” when liberty is threatened. Yet too many soft Americans are willing to do nothing but watch it be taken by those who hate our culture but love the sanctuary.
E pluribus unum. Out of many, one, is not for everyone.
Beth Brelje is an elections correspondent for The Federalist. She is an award-winning investigative journalist with decades of media experience.
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