the "In God we trust" language:
In God We Trust is the official motto of the United States and the U.S. state of Florida. The motto first appeared on a United States coin in 1864 during strong Christian sentiment emerging during the Civil War, but In God We Trust did not become the official U.S. national motto until after the passage of an Act of Congress in 1956.<1> It is codified as federal law in the United States Code at 36 U.S.C. § 302, which provides: "In God we trust" is the national motto".
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_God_We_TrustThe original "motto" or phrase used as a motto was "E pluribus unum."
E Pluribus Unum is Latin for "out of many, one." Sometimes it is translated more loosely as "one from many." E Pluribus Unum refers to the fact that the United States was formed as a cohesive single nation as the result of the thirteen smaller colonies joining together.
The motto E Pluribus Unum was first proposed by the U.S. Continental Congress in 1782, for use on the Great Seal of the United States. The immediate inspiration for the use of this term is generally believed to be Gentlemen's Magazine, which was an important men's magazine published in England beginning in the early 18th century. It was a very influential magazine among the intellectual elite. Every year, Gentlemen's Magazine would do a special issue, comprised of the best of the year's articles, and the Latin term "E Pluribus Unum" appeared on the title page as a way of explaining that this issue of the magazine became "one issue from many previous issues."
E Pluribus Unum on Coins
The first use of E Pluribus Unum on coins was in 1795, when it was used on the Half Eagle ($5.00 gold piece.) The reverse design motif is based on the Great Seal of the United States, and depicts an eagle holding a banner in its beak bearing the motto E PLURIBUS UNUM. The motto was first used on a silver coin three years later in 1798, and apeared on all U.S. gold and silver coinage shortly thereafter. However, E Pluribus Unum's use on U.S. coinage wasn't uninterrupted.
http://coins.about.com/od/uscoins/f/e_pluribus_unum.htmSo, E Pluribus Unum was the phrase used on our money in the early days of our Republic. Let's all remember that. "In God We Trust" was much later.