List of U.S. state and territory mottos

Nil sine numine, the motto of Colorado on its state seal

Live free or die, the motto of New Hampshire on its state quarter

Eureka, the motto of California on its state seal

Freedom and Unity, the motto of Vermont on its state quarter

In God we trust, the motto of Florida on its state seal

Crossroads of America, the motto of Indiana on its state quarter

Ad astra per aspera, the motto of Kansas on its state seal

Esto perpetua, the motto of Idaho on its state quarter

South Carolina has two state mottos

Ua Mau ke Ea o ka ʻĀina i ka Pono, the motto of Hawaii on its state quarter

All of the United States' 50 states have a state motto, as do the District of Columbia and three US territories. A motto is a phrase meant to formally describe the general motivation or intention of an organization. State mottos can sometimes be found on state seals or state flags. Some states have officially designated a state motto by an act of the state legislature, whereas other states have the motto only as an element of their seals. The motto of the United States itself is In God We Trust, proclaimed by Congress and signed into law by President Dwight D. Eisenhower on July 30, 1956.^[1]

South Carolina has two official mottos, both of which are in Latin.^[2] Kentucky also has two mottos, one in Latin and the other in English.^[3] All other states and territories have only one motto, except Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, which do not have any mottos.^[4][5] English and Latin are the most-used languages for state mottos, used by 25 and 23 states and territories, respectively. Only six states and territories use another language, of which each language is only used once. Eight states and two territories have their mottos on their state quarter; thirty-eight states and four territories have their mottos on their state seals.

The dates given are, where possible, the earliest date that the motto was used in an official sense. Some state mottos are not official but are on the official state seal; in these cases the adoption date of the seal is given. The earliest use of a current motto is that of Puerto Rico, Johannes est nomen ejus, granted to the island by the Spanish in 1511.^[6]

State and territory mottos

State	Motto	Translation (if applicable)	Language	Date	Ref.
Alabama	Audemus jura nostra defendere	We dare defend our rights	Latin	01923 1923	[7]
Alaska	North to the future	—	English	01967 1967	[8]
American Samoa	Samoa, Muamua Le Atua	Samoa, let God be first	Samoan	01973 1973	[9]
Arizona	Ditat Deus	God enriches	Latin	01863 1863	[10][11]
Arkansas	Regnat populus	The people rule	Latin	01907 1907	[12][N 1]
California	Eureka	I have found it	Greek	01849 1849	[13][N 2]
Colorado	Nil sine numine	Nothing without God's will	Latin	01861-11-05 November 5, 1861	[14]
Connecticut	Qui transtulit sustinet	He who transplanted sustains	Latin	01662-10-09 October 9, 1662	[15]
Delaware	Liberty and Independence	—	English	01847 1847	[16]
District of Columbia	Justitia Omnibus	Justice for All	Latin	01871-08-03 August 3, 1871	[17]
Florida	In God We Trust	—	English	01868 1868	[18][N 3]
Georgia	Wisdom, justice, and moderation	—	English	01798 1798	[20][21]
Guam	—	—	—	—	[4]
Hawaii	Ua Mau ke Ea o ka ʻĀina i ka Pono	The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness	Hawaiian	01843-07-31 July 31, 1843	[22][23][N 4]
Idaho	Esto perpetua	Let it be perpetual	Latin	01890 1890	[24]
Illinois	State sovereignty, national union	—	English	01819 1819	[25]
Indiana	The Crossroads of America	—	English	01937 1937	[26]
Iowa	Our liberties we prize and our rights we will maintain	—	English	01847 1847	[27]
Kansas	Ad astra per aspera	To the stars through hardships	Latin	01861 1861	[28]
Kentucky	United we stand, divided we fall Deo gratiam habeamus	Let us be grateful to God	English Latin	01942 1942 2002	[3]
Louisiana	Union, justice, confidence	—	English	01902 1902	[29]
Maine	Dirigo	I lead	Latin	01820 1820	[30]
Maryland	Fatti maschii, parole femine	Manly deeds, womanly words	Italian	01874 1874	[31][32]
Massachusetts	Ense petit placidam sub libertate quietem	By the sword we seek peace, but peace only under liberty	Latin	01775 1775	[33]
Michigan	Si quaeris peninsulam amoenam circumspice	If you seek a pleasant peninsula, look about you	Latin	01835-06-02 June 2, 1835	[34]
Minnesota	L'étoile du Nord	The star of the North	French	01861 1861	[35][N 5]
Mississippi	Virtute et armis	By valor and arms	Latin	01894-02-07 February 7, 1894	[36]
Missouri	Salus populi suprema lex esto	Let the welfare of the people be the supreme law	Latin	01822-01-11 January 11, 1822	[37]
Montana	Oro y plata	Gold and silver	Spanish	01865-02-09 February 9, 1865	[38]
Nebraska	Equality before the law	—	English	01867 1867	[39]
Nevada	All For Our Country	—	English	01866-02-24 February 24, 1866	[40][N 6]
New Hampshire	Live Free or Die	—	English	01945 1945	[41]
New Jersey	Liberty and prosperity	—	English	01928-03-26 March 26, 1928	[42]
New Mexico	Crescit eundo	It grows as it goes	Latin	01887 1887	[43][N 7]
New York	Excelsior	Ever upward	Latin	01778 1778	[44]
North Carolina	Esse quam videri	To be rather than to seem	Latin	01893 1893	[45]
North Dakota	Liberty and union, now and forever, one and inseparable	—	English	01889 1889	[46]
Northern Mariana Islands	—	—	—	—	[5]
Ohio	With God, all things are possible	—	English	01959-10-01 October 1, 1959	[47]
Oklahoma	Labor omnia vincit	Labor conquers all things	Latin	01893-03-10 March 10, 1893	[48][N 8]
Oregon	Alis volat propriis	She flies with her own wings	Latin	01854 1854	[51][N 9]
Pennsylvania	Virtue, Liberty, and Independence	—	English	01875 1875	[52]
Puerto Rico	Joannes Est Nomem Ejus	John is his name	Latin	01511 1511	[6][53][N 10]
Rhode Island	Hope	—	English	01664-05-04 May 4, 1664	[54]
South Carolina	Dum spiro spero Animis opibusque parati	While I breathe, I hope Ready in soul and resource	Latin	01777-05-22 May 22, 1777	[2]
South Dakota	Under God the people rule	—	English	01885 1885	[55]
Tennessee	Agriculture and commerce	—	English	01802-05-24 May 24, 1802	[56][N 11]
Texas	Friendship	—	English	01930 1930	[57]
Utah	Industry	—	English	01896-05-03 May 3, 1896	[58][N 12]
Vermont	Freedom and Unity	—	English	01779-02-20 February 20, 1779	[60]
Virginia	Sic semper tyrannis	Thus always to tyrants	Latin	01776 1776	[61]
Virgin Islands	United in Pride and Hope	—	English	01991-01-01 January 1, 1991	[62]
Washington	Al-ki	By and by	Chinook Jargon	—	[63][N 13]
West Virginia	Montani semper liberi	Mountaineers are always free	Latin	01863-09-26 September 26, 1863	[64]
Wisconsin	Forward	—	English	01851 1851	[65]
Wyoming	Equal Rights	—	English	01893 1893	[66]

Notes

See also

• List of U.S. state nicknames
• List of U.S. state slogans
• List of national mottos

References

Works cited

• Shearer, Benjamin F.; Shearer, Barbara S. (2002). State Names, Seals, Flags, and Symbols (3 ed.). Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN 9780313315343. http://books.google.com/books?id=nCA0UuGlJG8C. Retrieved on 2009-02-15. 

External links

• Mottoes of the 50 States from Netstate.com
• State mottos from State Symbols USA

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