On the Great Seal of the United States, first suggested by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, there was to be emblazoned a new motto: "E Pluribus Unum" — "Out of many, one."
It was in their unity, not their diversity, that the strength of the colonies resided. So Patrick Henry believed, as he declared, "The distinctions between Virginians, Pennsylvanians, New Yorkers and New Englanders are no more. I am not a Virginian, but an American."
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