Mottoes

They aren’t as familiar as flag, but nearly every country has one. Every U.S. state has one, and some have two. For good measure, they are often depicted on coats of arms, state seals, or even flags.

I’m talking about mottoes. Below is a list of state mottoes. As time allows, I’ll add a list of national mottoes.

Speaking of which, did you know the United States has two national mottoes, E Pluribus Unum and “In God We Trust”? Have you ever wondered why? Do you think it could be a conspiracy?

I’ll explore that mystery in my book U.S. Symbols.

U.S. State Mottoes ˆ

List of State Mottoes
State	Motto	Translation
Alabama	Audemus jura nostra defendere		1939
Alaska	North to the Future		1967
Arizona	Ditat Deus	“God Enriches”	1864
Arkansas	Regnat Populus	“The People Rule”	1907
California	Eureka	“I Have Found It”	1963
Colorado	Nil Sine Numine	“Nothing without Providence”	1861
Connecticut	Qui Transtulit Sustinet	“He Who Transplanted Still Sustains”
Delaware	Liberty and Independence
District of Columbia	Justia Omnibus
Florida	In God We Trust		1868
Georgia	Wisdom, Justice, Moderation
Hawaii	Ua Mau ke Ea o ka Aina i ka Pono	“The Life of the Land is Perpetuated in Righteousness”	1843
Idaho	Esto Perpetua	“It Is Forever”	1891
Illinois	State Sovereignty	National Union
Indiana	The Crossroads of America		1937
Iowa	Our liberties we prize, and our rights we will maintain		1847
Kansas	Ad Astra per Aspera	“To the Stars Through Difficulties”
Kentucky	United we stand, divided we fall		1942
(Latin)	Deo gratiam habeamus		2002
Louisiana	Union, Justice and Confidence
Maine	Dirigo	“I Direct” or “I Guide”
Maryland	Scuto Bonae Voluntatis Tuae Coronasti Nos	“With favor Wilt Thou Compass Us as with a Shield”
Maryland	Fatti maschii parole femine	“Strong Deeds, Gentle Words”
Massachusetts	Ense Petit Placidam Sub Libertate Quietem	“By the Sword We Seek Peace, but Peace Only under Liberty”
Michigan	Quaeris Peninsulam Amoenam Circumspice	“If You Seek a Pleasant Peninsula, Look About You”
Minnesota	’Etoile du Nord	“Star of the North”
Mississippi	Virtute et Armis	“By Valor and Arms”	1894
Missouri	Salus Populi Suprema Lex Esto	“The Welfare of the People Shall Be the Supreme Law”
Montana	Oro y Plata	“Gold and Silver”
Nebraska	Equality Before the Law		1867
Nevada	All for Our Country		1866
New Hampshire	Live Free or Die		1945
New Jersey	Liberty and Prosperity		1928
New Mexico	Crescit Eundo	“It Grows as It Goes”
New York	Excelsior	“Higher”	1778
North Carolina	Esse Quam Videri	“To Be Rather than to Seem”	1893
North Dakota	Liberty and Union Now and Forever, One and Inseparable
Ohio	With God, All Things Are Possible		1959
Oklahoma	Labor Omnia Vincit	“Labor Conquers All Things”	1906
Oregon	Alis Volat Propriis	“She Flies with Her Own Wings”
Pennsylvania	Virtue, Liberty, and Independence		1875
Rhode Island	Hope
South Carolina	Animis Opibusque Parati	“Prepared in Mind and Resources”	1776
	Dum Spiro Spero	“While I Breathe I Hope”	1776
South Dakota	Under God the People Rule		1885
Tennessee	Agriculture and Commerce		1987
Texas	Friendship		1930
Utah	Industry		1959
Vermont	Freedom and Unity
(Latin)	Stella quarta decima fulgeat		2015
Virginia	Sic Semper Tyrannis	“Thus Ever to Tyrants”
Washington	Alki	“Bye and Bye”
West Virginia	Montani Semper Liberi	“Mountaineers Are Always Free”	1863
Wisconsin	Forward		1851
Wyoming	Equal Rights		1955

Canada ˆ

List of Provincial Mottoes
Province	Motto
Alberta	Fortis et Liber (“Strong and Free”)
British Columbia	Splendor Sine Occasu (“Splendor without diminishment”)
Manitoba	Gloriosus et Liber (“Glorious and Free”)
New Brunswick	Spem Reduxit (“Hope was restored”)
Newfoundland	Quaerite Prime Regnum Dei (“Seek ye first the kingdom of God”)
Nova Scotia	Munit Haec et Altera Vincit (“One defends and the other conquers”)
Nunavut	Nunavut Sanginivut (“Nunavut our strength”)
Ontario	Ut Incepit Fidelis Sic Permanet (“Loyal she began, loyal she remains”)
Prince Edward Island	Parva Sub Ingenti (“The small under the protection of the great”)
Quebec	Je me souviens (“I remember”)
Saskatchewan	Multibus E Gentibus Vires (“From many peoples strength”)