One Nation Under God

America was not founded as a spiritually neutral nation. From the beginning, our land was publicly dedicated to the purposes of Almighty God. In 1607, at Cape Henry, the land was dedicated for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Mayflower Compact was undertaken “for the Glory of God” and the “Advancement of the Christian Faith.” The 1643 Articles of Confederation of the United Colonies of New England declared that the colonies came with “one and the same end and aim” - “to advance the Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Even the Treaty of Paris, which formally recognized American independence, opened “In the Name of the Most Holy & undivided Trinity” and acknowledged Divine Providence. The Declaration of Independence appealed to the “Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God,” the “Creator,” the “Supreme Judge of the world,” and “Divine Providence.” Illinois’ own Constitution acknowledges Almighty God as the source of our civil, political, and religious liberty.

America’s law is based on God’s law, not Allah’s law. Our constitutional order was shaped by biblical principles of justice, ordered liberty, property rights, due process, equal protection, and civil government under God. Religious liberty protects private worship and conscience, but it does not require Americans to accept a rival religious legal system or a separate civilizational order operating within our communities.

1607 - The Robert Hunt / Cape Henry Dedication

When the Jamestown settlers first landed at Cape Henry, Virginia, they raised a wooden cross, and Rev. Robert Hunt led them in prayer. In the declaration traditionally attributed to Hunt, the land was dedicated “to reach the People within these shores with the Gospel of Jesus Christ,” to “raise up Godly generations,” and to take “the Kingdom of God to all the earth.”

1620 - The Mayflower Compact

The Pilgrims declared that their colony was undertaken “for the Glory of God” and the “Advancement of the Christian Faith,” and they covenanted together “in the Presence of God” to form a civil body politic.

1643 - The Articles of Confederation of the United Colonies of New England

The New England colonies stated that they had come to America with “one and the same end and aim,” namely “to advance the Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ” and “to enjoy the liberties of the Gospel.” This shows that early colonial union and self-government were openly tied to Christian purpose.

1776 - The Continental Congress Called the Colonies to Repentance and Prayer

On March 16, 1776, Congress appointed May 17 as a “day of Humiliation, Fasting and Prayer,” urging the colonies to confess sin, repent, and seek God’s pardon “through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ.”

1776 - The Declaration of Independence Grounded American Liberty in God

The Declaration appeals to “the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God,” states that rights come from the “Creator,” appeals to the “Supreme Judge of the world,” and closes with reliance upon “Divine Providence.”

1787–1892 - American Law Recognized Religion and Christianity as Foundational to Public Life

The Northwest Ordinance declared that “religion, morality, and knowledge” are “necessary to good government,” and in 1892 the U.S. Supreme Court stated that America’s historical record added up to the declaration that “this is a Christian nation.”

1870 / 1970 - The Illinois Constitution Acknowledged Almighty God

Illinois’ constitutional preamble recognizes the people as “grateful to Almighty God” for their “civil, political and religious liberty” and seeks “His blessing” upon the state’s endeavors. This shows that even the state constitutional government publicly acknowledged liberty as a blessing permitted by God.

1883 - The Illinois Supreme Court Described American Institutions as Emphatically Christian

In Richmond v. Moore, the Illinois Supreme Court stated:

“Our laws and our institutions must necessarily be based upon and embody the teachings of the Redeemer of mankind. It is impossible that it should be otherwise. In this sense and to this extent, our civilization and institutions are emphatically Christian.”

2002 - Congress Reaffirmed “One Nation under God” and “In God We Trust”

Through Public Law 107-293, Congress reaffirmed the reference to “one Nation under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance and reaffirmed “In God We Trust” as America’s national motto.

2011 - The House Reaffirmed “In God We Trust” as America’s National Motto

The House passed H. Con. Res. 13, reaffirming “In God We Trust” as the official motto of the United States and supporting its public display in public buildings, public schools, and other government institutions.

May 17, 2026 - America Was Rededicated as One Nation Under God

On the 250th anniversary of Congress’s 1776 call to prayer, Americans gathered for Scripture, testimony, prayer, worship, and rededication of the United States as “One Nation Under God.”