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 intended 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] The motto E Pluribus Unum (Latin for "One from many") was approved for use on the Great Seal of the United States in 1782, but was never adopted as the national motto through legislative action.

South Carolina has two official mottos, both of which are in Latin.^[2] Kentucky, North Dakota, and Vermont also have two mottos, one in Latin and the other in English.^[3][4] All other states and territories have only one motto, except Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, which do not have any mottos.^[5][6] English and Latin are the most-used languages for state mottos, each used by 25 states and territories. Seven 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.^[7]

State and territory mottos

State/Territory	Motto	English Translation	Language	Date	Ref.
Alabama	Audemus jura nostra defendere	We dare defend our rights!	Latin	000000001923-01-01-00001923	[8]
Alaska	North to the future	—	English	000000001967-01-01-00001967	[9]
American Samoa	Samoa, Muamua Le Atua	Samoa, let God be first	Samoan	000000001973-01-01-00001973	[10]
Arizona	Ditat Deus	God enriches	Latin	000000001863-01-01-00001863	[11][12]
Arkansas	Regnat populus	The people rule	Latin	000000001907-01-01-00001907	[13][N 1]
California	Eureka (Εὕρηκα)	I have found it	Greek	000000001849-01-01-00001849	[14][N 2]
Colorado	Nil sine numine	Nothing without providence.	Latin	000000001861-11-06-0000November 6, 1861	[15]
Connecticut	Qui transtulit sustinet	He who transplanted sustains	Latin	000000001662-10-09-0000October 9, 1662	[16]
Delaware	Liberty and Independence	—	English	000000001847-01-01-00001847	[17]
District of Columbia	Justitia Omnibus	Justice for All	Latin	000000001871-08-03-0000August 3, 1871	[18]
Florida	In God We Trust	—	English	000000001868-01-01-00001868	[19][N 3]
Georgia	Wisdom, Justice, Moderation	—	English	000000001798-01-01-00001798	[21][22]
Guam	—	—	—	—	[5]
Hawaii	Ua mau ke ea o ka ʻāina i ka pono	The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness.	Hawaiian	000000001843-07-31-0000July 31, 1843	[23][24][N 4]
Idaho	Esto perpetua	Let it be perpetual	Latin	000000001890-01-01-00001890	[25]
Illinois	State sovereignty, national union	—	English	000000001819-01-01-00001819	[26]
Indiana	The Crossroads of America	—	English	000000001937-01-01-00001937	[27]
Iowa	Our liberties we prize and our rights we will maintain	—	English	000000001847-01-01-00001847	[28]
Kansas	Ad astra per aspera	To the stars through difficulties	Latin	000000001861-01-01-00001861	[29]
Kentucky	United we stand, divided we fall Deo gratiam habeamus	Let us be grateful to God	English Latin	000000001942-01-01-00001942 2002	[3]
Louisiana	Union, justice, confidence	—	English	000000001902-01-01-00001902	[30]
Maine	Dirigo	I lead	Latin	000000001820-01-01-00001820	[31]
Maryland	Fatti maschii, parole femine	Manly deeds, womanly words	Italian	000000001874-01-01-00001874	[32][33]
Massachusetts	Ense petit placidam sub libertate quietem	By the sword we seek peace, but peace only under liberty	Latin	000000001775-01-01-00001775	[34]
Michigan	Si quaeris peninsulam amoenam circumspice	If you seek a pleasant peninsula, look about you	Latin	000000001835-06-02-0000June 2, 1835	[35][36]
Minnesota	L'étoile du Nord	The star of the North	French	000000001861-01-01-00001861	[37][N 5]
Mississippi	Virtute et armis	By valor and arms	Latin	000000001894-02-07-0000February 7, 1894	[38]
Missouri	Salus populi suprema lex esto	Let the welfare of the people be the supreme law	Latin	000000001822-01-11-0000January 11, 1822	[39]
Montana	Oro y plata	Gold and silver	Spanish	000000001865-02-09-0000February 9, 1865	[40]
Nebraska	Equality before the law	—	English	000000001867-01-01-00001867	[41]
Nevada	All For Our Country	—	English	000000001866-02-24-0000February 24, 1866	[42][N 6]
New Hampshire	Live Free or Die	—	English	000000001945-01-01-00001945	[43]
New Jersey	Liberty and prosperity	—	English	000000001928-03-26-0000March 26, 1928	[44]
New Mexico	Crescit eundo	It grows as it goes	Latin	000000001887-01-01-00001887	[45][N 7]
New York	Excelsior	Ever upward	Latin	000000001778-01-01-00001778	[46]
North Carolina	Esse quam videri	To be, rather than to seem	Latin	000000001893-01-01-00001893	[47]
North Dakota	Liberty and union, now and forever, one and inseparable Serit ut alteri saeclo prosit	One sows for the benefit of another age	English Latin	000000001863-01-03-0000January 3, 1863 000000002011-03-11-0000March 11, 2011	[48][49] [50]
Northern Mariana Islands	—	—	—	—	[6]
Ohio	With God, all things are possible	—	English	000000001959-10-01-0000October 1, 1959	[51][N 8]
Oklahoma	Labor omnia vincit	Labor conquers all things	Latin	000000001893-03-10-0000March 10, 1893	[53][N 9]
Oregon	Alis volat propriis	She flies with her own wings	Latin	000000001854-01-01-00001854	[56][N 10]
Pennsylvania	Virtue, liberty, and independence	—	English	000000001875-01-01-00001875	[57]
Puerto Rico	Joannes Est Nomen Eius	John is his name	Latin	000000001511-01-01-00001511	[7][58][N 11]
Rhode Island	Hope	—	English	000000001664-05-04-0000May 4, 1664	[59]
South Carolina	Dum spiro spero Animis opibusque parati	While I breathe, I hope Ready in soul and resource	Latin	000000001777-05-22-0000May 22, 1777	[2]
South Dakota	Under God the people rule	—	English	000000001885-01-01-00001885	[60]
Tennessee	Agriculture and Commerce	—	English	000000001802-05-24-0000May 24, 1802	[61][N 12]
Texas	Friendship	—	English	000000001930-01-01-00001930	[62]
Utah	Industry		English	000000001896-05-03-0000May 3, 1896	[63][N 13]
Vermont	Freedom and Unity Stella quarta decima fulgeat	May the fourteenth star shine bright	English Latin	000000001779-02-20-0000February 20, 1779 000000002015-04-10-0000April 10, 2015	[65][66][67]
Virginia	Sic semper tyrannis	Thus always to tyrants	Latin	000000001776-01-01-00001776	[68]
Virgin Islands	United in Pride and Hope	—	English	000000001991-01-01-0000January 1, 1991	[69]
Washington	Al-ki	By and by	Chinook Jargon	—	[70][N 14]
West Virginia	Montani semper liberi	Mountaineers are always free	Latin	000000001863-09-26-0000September 26, 1863	[71]
Wisconsin	Forward	—	English	000000001851-01-01-00001851	[72]
Wyoming	Equal Rights	—	English	000000001893-01-01-00001893	[73]

See also

• List of U.S. state nicknames

Notes

References

Works cited

• Shearer, Benjamin F.; Shearer, Barbara S. (2002). State Names, Seals, Flags, and Symbols (3 ed.). Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN 978-0-313-31534-3. Retrieved 2009-02-15. 

External links

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