Democratic Ideals

“E Pluribus Unum”

1776

"One from many" was the motto proposed for the first Great Seal of the United States by John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson in 1776 the phrase offered a strong statement of the American determination to form a single nation from a collection of states.

Declaration of Independence

Jul 4, 1776

Americans declared independence from the british

U.S. Constitution

Sep 17, 1787

Written by the founding fathers as a plan of government for the country.

The bill of rights

Dec 15, 1791

The spelling out of Americans' rights in relation to their government.

Alex de Tocqueville and his Five Principles : Liberty, Egalitarianism, Individualism, Populism, and Laissez-faire.

1840

Describe how the American values identified by Alexis de Tocqueville are different and unique from those of other nations, these were created because women and children were more independent, and the freedom of religion allowed for more religious denominations.

Eminent Domain

1876

the power of the government to take private property and convert it into public use. The Fifth Amendment provides that the government may only exercise this power if they provide just compensation to the property owners.

"In God We Trust"

Jul 30, 1956

Melkote Ramaswamy, a Hindu American scholar, writes that the presence of the phrase "In God We Trust" on American currency is a reminder that "there is God everywhere, whether we are conscious or not."