“EVERBODY’S WATCHING” THE MAKING OF THE CONSTITUTION QUILL ENTERTAINMENT EDUCATION GUIDE

QUILL ENTERTAINMENT EDUCATION GUIDE TEACHING AMERICA’S HERITAGE THROUGH STORY AND SONG E PLURIBUS UNUM ("OUT OF MANY, ONE")

What does E Pluribus Unum mean? ("OUT OF MANY, ONE") Essential Questions What does E Pluribus Unum mean? Where does it come from?

E pluribus unum is Latin meaning "Out of many, one" E pluribus unum is Latin meaning "Out of many, one". It was first used in 1776 when the Seal of the United States was developed by Pierre Eugene du Simitiere and was officially adopted by an Act of Congress in 1782. It also appears on our money as you can see above. The image is also used as the national emblem of the United States, and appears on official documents such as passports, the seal of the President and the Vice President the Congress House of Representatives Senate Supreme Court

E PLURIBUS UNUM, is meant to mean that out of many colonies or states emerge a single nation, in recent years it has come to suggest that out of many peoples, races, religions and ancestries has emerged a single people and nation illustrating the concept of the melting pot.

13 Symbolically, the phrase E pluribus unum has 13 letters representing the 13 colonies becoming the United States. The back of the US 2010 penny features E pluribus unum and a shield with 13 vertical stripes. The Great Seal also features 13 leaves on the Olive branches, 13 olives, 13 arrows, and 13 stars. The back of the US dollar includes these 13 letters among 13 symbolic references to the number 13. For the United States the number 13 has been a lucky number!

13

The Making of the Constitution Essential Questions What is a Constitution? Why is it important?

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN

SIGNING THE CONSTITUTION