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List of U.S. state and territory mottos

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All of the United States' 50 states have a state motto, as do the District of Columbia and 3 of its 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. The motto "E pluribus unum" (Latin for 'out of many, one') 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 which are in Latin. All other states and territories have only one motto, except for Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, which do not have any mottos. 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, Joannes est nomen ejus, granted to the island by the Spanish in 1511.

State, federal district and territory mottos

Jurisdiction	Motto	English translation	Language
Alabama	Audemus jura nostra defendere	We dare defend our rights	Latin
Alaska	North to the Future		English
American Samoa	Samoa, Muamua Le Atua	Samoa, let Atua be first	Samoan
Arizona	Ditat Deus	God enriches	Latin
Arkansas	Regnat populus	The people rule	Latin
California	Eureka (Εὕρηκα)	I have found it	Greek
Colorado	Nil sine numine	Nothing without providence	Latin
Connecticut	Qui transtulit sustinet	He who transplanted still sustains	Latin
Delaware	Liberty and Independence		English
District of Columbia	Justitia Omnibus	Justice for all	Latin
Florida	In God We Trust		English
Georgia	Wisdom, Justice, Moderation		English
Guam
Hawaiʻi	Ua mau ke ea o ka {{okina}}āina i ka pono	The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness/*The sovereignty of the land is perpetuated in righteousness	Hawaiian
Idaho	Esto perpetua	Let it be perpetual	Latin
Illinois	State sovereignty, national union		English
Indiana	Crossroads of America		English
Iowa	Our liberties we prize and our rights we will maintain		English
Kansas	Ad astra per aspera	To the stars through difficulties	Latin
Kentucky	United we stand, divided we fall		English
Deo gratiam habeamus	Let us be grateful to God	Latin	2002
Louisiana	Union, justice, confidence		English
Maine	Dirigo	I lead	Latin
Maryland	Fatti maschi, parole femine	Strong deeds, gentle words	Italian
Massachusetts	Ense petit placidam sub libertate quietem	By the sword we seek peace, but peace only under liberty	Latin
Michigan	Si quaeris peninsulam amoenam circumspice	If you seek a pleasant peninsula, look about you	Latin
Minnesota	L'Étoile du Nord	The star of the North	French
Mississippi	Virtute et armis	By valor and arms	Latin
Missouri	Salus populi suprema lex esto	Let the welfare of the people be the supreme law	Latin
Montana	Oro y plata	Gold and silver	Spanish
Nebraska	Equality before the law		English
Nevada	All For Our Country		English
New Hampshire	Live Free or Die		English
New Jersey	Liberty and prosperity		English
New Mexico	Crescit eundo	It grows as it goes	Latin
New York	Excelsior	Ever upward	Latin
North Carolina	Esse quam videri	To be, rather than to seem	Latin
North Dakota	Liberty and union, now and forever, one and inseparable		English
Serit ut alteri saeclo prosit	One sows for the benefit of another age	Latin
Northern Mariana Islands
Ohio	With God, all things are possible		English
Oklahoma	Labor omnia vincit	Labor conquers all things	Latin
Oregon	Alis volat propriis	She flies with her own wings	Latin
Pennsylvania	Virtue, liberty, and independence		English
Puerto Rico	Joannes Est Nomen Ejus	John is his name	Latin
Rhode Island	Hope		English
South Carolina	Dum spiro spero	While I breathe, I hope	Latin
Animis opibusque parati	Ready in soul and resource	Latin
South Dakota	Under God the people rule		English
Tennessee	Agriculture and Commerce		English
Texas	Friendship		English
Utah	Industry		English
Vermont	Freedom and Unity		English
Stella quarta decima fulgeat	May the fourteenth star shine bright	Latin
Virginia	Sic semper tyrannis	Thus always to tyrants	Latin
U.S. Virgin Islands	United in Pride and Hope		English
Washington	Al-ki or Alki (Unofficial)	By and by	Chinook Jargon
West Virginia	Montani semper liberi	Mountaineers are always free	Latin
Wisconsin	Forward		English
Wyoming	Equal Rights		English

Notes

References

"History of 'In God we Trust'". U.S. Treasury.
"State Coat of Arms". State of North Dakota.
(2002). "State Names, Seals, Flags, and Symbols: A Historical Guide". [[Greenwood Publishing Group.
(February 13, 2008). "Official Alabama Motto". Alabama Department of Archives & History.
"State Symbols". State of Alaska.
Sorensen, Stan. "The Samoan Historical Calendar, 1607-2007". American Samoa Government.
"Arizona State Seal". State of Arizona.
"History of the Arizona State Seal". Arizona Secretary of State.
"The Great Seal of Arkansas". State of Arkansas.
"History and Culture - State Symbols". State of California.
"Colorado State Archives Symbols & Emblems". State of Colorado.
(June 9, 2008). "Sites, Seals & Symbols". State of Connecticut.
(14 August 2008). "Delaware Facts and Symbols". State of Delaware.
"About District of Columbia". District of Columbia.
"What is the state motto of Florida?". State of Florida.
"State Seal". State of Georgia.
"Georgia State Symbols". State of Georgia.
"Government - Georgia State Motto". Digital Library of Georgia.
(2009-01-14). "Hawaii, the Aloha State". State of Hawaii.
"Hawaii State Motto". NETSTATE.COM.
(March 1970). "Idaho's State Motto". Idaho State Historical Society.
"Seal of the State of Illinois". State of Illinois.
"Emblems". State of Indiana.
"Iowa State Symbols". State of Iowa.
"Kansas Seal". State of Kansas.
(2008-01-29). "Kentucky's State Symbols". Commonwealth of Kentucky.
The Latin motto was adopted by [http://www.lrc.state.ky.us/recarch/02rs/HB857.htm HB 857] {{Webarchive. link. (2017-05-25 and is defined by [http://www.lrc.ky.gov/krs/002-00/105.PDF KRS 2.105] {{Webarchive). link. (2013-06-05 .)
"Kids' Page". State of Louisiana.
"Emblems". State of Maine.
(April 21, 2005). "Maryland State Seal - Great Seal of Maryland (reverse)". State of Maryland.
(June 17, 2004). "Maryland State Seal - Great Seal of Maryland". State of Maryland.
"Massachusetts Facts". Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
"History of the Great Seal". State of Michigan.
"State Motto". State of Michigan.
"Minnesota State Symbols". State of Minnesota.
"State of Mississippi Symbols". State of Mississippi.
"The Great Seal of Missouri". State of Missouri.
"About the State Seal". State of Montana.
"State Seal". State of Nebraska.
"Nevada Information". State of Nevada.
"State Emblem". State of New Hampshire.
"The Great Seal of the State of New Jersey". State of New Jersey.
"Great Seal of New Mexico". State of New Mexico.
(March 31, 2008). "New York State Flag and Great Seal of the State of New York". State of New York.
(2009-01-22). "The State Symbols". State of North Carolina.
"State Motto". State of North Dakota.
Kingsbury, George. History of Dakota Territory (1915). [https://www.archive.org/stream/historyofdakotaterr01king#page/268/mode/2up Retrieved from the Internet Archive] 12 May 2014.
"House Bill No. 1346". State of North Dakota.
"5.06 State motto.". State of Ohio.
"Great Seal of Ohio". Ohio Historical Society.
Everett, Diana. "State Emblems". Oklahoma Historical Society.
"Grand Seal of the Territory of Oklahoma". Oklahoma State University.
"History of Oklahoma Emblems". Oklahoma State University.
"State Motto Timeline". State of Oregon.
"Symbols". Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
"Escudo de Puerto Rico". Government of Puerto Rico.
(March 16, 2009). "Description". Welcome to Puerto Rico.
"State Symbols". State of Rhode Island.
"Seals, Flags, House & Senate Emblems". State of South Carolina.
"Signs and Symbols of South Dakota". State of South Dakota.
"Tennessee Symbols And Honors". State of Tennessee.
"Texas State Symbols". Texas State Library.
"Utah State Motto and Emblem". State of Utah.
"Great Seal of the State of Utah". State of Utah.
"491. Coat of arms; crest; motto and badge". State of Vermont.
"S.2". Vermont Legislature.
Thurston, Jack. (10 April 2015). "After Confusion and Controversy, Vermont Gets New Latin Motto". NECN.
(November 12, 2008). "State Symbols, Seals and Emblems". Commonwealth of Virginia.
"Legislative Seal". Legislature of the Virgin Islands.
"Symbols of Washington State". Washington State Legislature.
"State Seal of West Virginia". State of West Virginia.
"Wisconsin State Symbols". State of Wisconsin.
"Great Seal". Wyoming Secretary of State's Office.

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