American Creed

Idea of an unifying political belief of Americans

Not to be confused with Dean Alfange's "An American's Creed".

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The American Creed is a term used to refer to the idea that the defining element of American identity, first formulated by Thomas Jefferson and elaborated by many others,[1] includes liberty, equality, justice, and humanity.

## The American's Creed (resolution)

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"The American's Creed" hung in Butler University's Jordan Hall

"The American's Creed" is the title of a resolution passed by the U.S. House of Representatives on April 3, 1918. It is a statement written in 1917 by William Tyler Page as an entry into a patriotic contest that he won.

> I believe in the United States of America, as a government of the people, by the people, for the people; whose just powers are derived from the consent of the governed; a democracy in a republic; a sovereign Nation of many sovereign States; a perfect union, one and inseparable; established upon those principles of freedom, equality, justice, and humanity for which American patriots sacrificed their lives and fortunes. I therefore believe it is my duty to my country to love it, to support its Constitution, to obey its laws, to respect its flag, and to defend it against all enemies.

> — William Tyler Page, The American's Creed, [2]

## See also

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* United States portal

* List of U.S. national symbols
* American civil religion
* American exceptionalism
* American nationalism
* Americanism (ideology)

## References

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1. ^ Huntington, Samuel (2004). Who are we?: The challenges to America's national identity. Simon & Schuster. p. xv. ISBN 0-684-87053-3.
2. ^ "The American's Creed". UShistory.org (Primary source). February 4, 2020 [1917]. Archived from the original on April 1, 2020. Retrieved August 3, 2020.

## Further reading

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* Murdock, Myrtle Cheney (1958), The American's Creed and William Tyler Page, Monumental Press. ISBN 978-1258318864
* Page, William Tyler (1921), The Book of the American's Creed, Sons of the American Revolution: The Country Life Press. OCLC 4783599

Wikimedia Commons has media related to American Creed.

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National symbols of the United States

Symbols|

* Flag
* Great Seal
* Bald eagle
* Uncle Sam
* Columbia
* Phrygian cap
* General Grant Tree
* American Creed
* Pledge of Allegiance
* Rose
* Oak
* Bison

Landmarks|

* Statue of Liberty (Liberty Enlightening the World)
* Liberty Bell
* Mount Rushmore
* National Mall
* West Potomac Park

Mottos|

* In God We Trust
* E pluribus unum
* Novus ordo seclorum
* Annuit cœptis

Songs|

* "The Star-Spangled Banner"
* "Dixie"
* "America the Beautiful"
* "Columbia, the Gem of the Ocean"
* "The Stars and Stripes Forever"
* "Hail to the Chief"
* "Hail, Columbia"
* "America (My Country, 'Tis of Thee)"
* "God Bless America"
* "Lift Every Voice and Sing"
* "The Army Goes Rolling Along"
* "Anchors Aweigh"
* "Marines' Hymn"
* "Semper Fidelis"
* "The Air Force Song"
* "Semper Paratus"
* "Semper Supra"
* "National Emblem March"
* "The Washington Post March"
* "Battle Hymn of the Republic"
* "Yankee Doodle"
* "You're a Grand Old Flag"
* "When Johnny Comes Marching Home"
* "This Land Is Your Land"
* "Battle Cry of Freedom"
* "God Bless the U.S.A."

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Thomas Jefferson

* 3rd President of the United States (1801–1809)
* 2nd Vice President of the United States (1797–1801)
* 1st United States Secretary of State (1790–1793)
* U.S. Minister to France (1785–1789)
* Delegate to the Congress of the Confederation (1783–1784)
* 2nd Governor of Virginia (1779–1781)
* Delegate to the Second Continental Congress (1775–1776)
* Delegate, Fifth Virginia Convention (1776)

Founding
documents of
the United States|

* A Summary View of the Rights of British America (1774)
* Olive Branch Petition (1775)
* Declaration of the Causes and Necessity of Taking Up Arms (1775)
* Declaration of Independence (1776)
* Committee of Five
* physical history
* "All men are created equal"
* "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness"
* "Consent of the governed"
* Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom (1786)
* Land Ordinance of 1784
* Land Ordinance of 1785

French Revolution|

* Co-author, Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen (1789)

Presidency|

* Act Prohibiting Importation of Slaves
* Louisiana Purchase
* Lewis and Clark Expedition
* Empire of Liberty
* Dunbar and Hunter Expedition
* Red River Expedition
* Pike Expedition
* Cumberland Road
* Embargo Act of 1807
* Chesapeake–Leopard affair
* Non-Intercourse Act
* First Barbary War
* Native American policy
* Burr conspiracy
* Marbury v. Madison
* West Point Military Academy
* State of the Union Addresses
* 1801
* 1802
* 1805
* Cabinet
* Federal judicial appointments

Other noted
accomplishments|

* Early life and career
* Franco-American alliance
* Founder, University of Virginia
* history
* Ratification Day
* Anti-Administration party
* Democratic-Republican Party
* Jeffersonian democracy
* Coinage, Weights, and Measures report (1790)
* State Department Library
* Residence Act
* Compromise of 1790
* Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions
* A Manual of Parliamentary Practice (1801)
* Jefferson disk
* Swivel chair
* Megalonyx

Jeffersonian
architecture|

* Barboursville
* Farmington
* Monticello
* gardens
* Poplar Forest
* University of Virginia
* The Rotunda
* The Lawn
* Jefferson Hall
* Virginia State Capitol
* White House Colonnades

Other writings|

* The Papers of Thomas Jefferson
* Notes on the State of Virginia (1785)
* Pyratical states of Barbary proposals (1786)
* European journey memorandums (1787)
* Indian removal letters
* The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth (c. 1819)
* Jefferson manuscript collection
* Founders Online

Related|

* American Enlightenment
* American Philosophical Society
* Founding Fathers of the United States
* Historical reputation
* Jefferson and education
* Religious views
* Jefferson and slavery
* Jefferson and the Library of Congress
* Jefferson Pier
* Pet mockingbird
* National Gazette
* Sally Hemings
* Jefferson–Hemings controversy
* Betty Hemings
* Separation of church and state
* Shadwell plantation
* Tuckahoe plantation
* Tufton Farm
* Governor's Palace (Williamsburg, Virginia)
* Virginia dynasty
* Ward republic

Elections|

* Presidential elections
* 1796
* 1800
* 1804

Legacy and
memorials|

* Bibliography
* Jefferson Memorial
* Mount Rushmore
* Birthday
* Thomas Jefferson Building
* Jefferson River
* Jefferson Territory
* Jefferson Lecture
* Jefferson National Expansion Memorial
* Square Thomas Jefferson
* Thomas Jefferson Star for Foreign Service
* Statues
* Karl Bitter
* Louisville
* University of Virginia
* David d'Angers
* Jefferson Literary and Debating Society
* Thomas Jefferson Foundation
* Jefferson Lab
* Monticello Association
* Jefferson City, Missouri
* Jefferson College
* Thomas Jefferson University
* Washington and Jefferson National Forests
* Peaks and mountains
* Jefferson Rock
* Other placenames
* Jefferson–Jackson Day
* Currency depictions
* Jefferson nickel
* Two-dollar bill
* Louisiana Purchase Exposition gold dollar
* 250th Anniversary silver dollar
* U.S. postage stamps

Cultural
depictions|

* Declaration of Independence (1938 film)
* The Patriots (1946 play)
* 1776
* 1969 musical
* 1972 film
* Jefferson in Paris (1995 film)
* Thomas Jefferson (1997 film)
* John Adams (2008 miniseries)
* Jefferson's Garden (2015 play)
* Hamilton (2015 musical)
* Thomas Jefferson (2025 miniseries)
* Wine bottles controversy
* Cultural depictions of Sally Hemings

Family|

* Martha Jefferson (wife)
* Martha Jefferson Randolph (daughter)
* Mary Jefferson Eppes (daughter)
* Harriet Hemings (daughter)
* Madison Hemings (son)
* Eston Hemings (son)
* Thomas J. Randolph (grandson)
* George W. Randolph (grandson)
* Ellen Randolph Coolidge (granddaughter)
* Cornelia Jefferson Randolph (granddaughter)
* Francis Eppes (grandson)
* John Wayles Jefferson (grandson)
* Sarah N. Randolph (great-granddaughter)
* T. Jefferson Coolidge (great-grandson)
* Frederick Madison Roberts (great-grandson)
* Peter Jefferson (father)
* Jane Randolph Jefferson (mother)
* Lucy Jefferson Lewis (sister)
* Randolph Jefferson (brother)
* Peter Carr (nephew)
* Samuel Carr (nephew)
* Dabney Carr (nephew)
* Dabney S. Carr (grand-nephew)
* Isham Randolph (grandfather)
* William Randolph (great-grandfather)
* Henry Soane (2nd great-grandfather)

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* Aaron Burr →

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