"In God we trust" was first added to U.S. coins in 1864 during the Civil War and became the national motto in 1956. It aimed to unify the country and differentiate it from communist rivals. Despite challenges on constitutional grounds, the Supreme Court ruled it secular and not violating the Establishment Clause.
free expression
Brandenburg v. Ohio (1969)
In 1969, the landmark case of Brandenburg v. Ohio established the "imminent lawless action" test for determining when speech is protected by the First Amendment. The Supreme Court ruled that advocating illegal action is protected unless it is intended to incite imminent lawless action, setting a high bar for government restriction of speech.
Greg C. Miller, Author 