The phrase "In God We Trust" was first printed on paper money in 1957 but had been used on coins since the Civil War era. Many historians, and even the US Treasury, have attributed these acts as responses to increased religious sentiment in America. Religious revivals are typical in times of strife or uncertainty, as people grasp for higher powers to save them from worldly pains. During the Civil War, not only were politics messy but so was the changing economic landscape of the country. There were years of drought, war destroyed fields, and an influx of immigrants flooding the nation. If Americans could trust that current events were part of God's plan, it was easier to swallow discomforts and failures and even expect a better tomorrow.

So, what was happening in the late 1950s to merit a second inscription on our currency? The Cold War, to name the big one. At any moment, it seems, the world could end in an atomic explosion. Countries were still recovering from the horrors of WWII and the Communists appeared to be closing in on the very vulnerable Southeast Asia. America was a big one for democracy, itself based on the principle that God created all men equally. It's motto, in God We Trust was a morale booster, a warning to enemies that the American plan was the divine plan, and an explanation.