A Complete List of All State Mottos

• Are you looking for state mottos wanting to know what characterizes the national ‘soul’ or patriotic identity of a particular U. S. state?  

State Mottos – The Unique Essence of a State’s
Personality … Spot on!

The owners of mottos, nicknames, and slogans may not only be
insightful people or clever businesses but also states.

In fact, all the states of America have each chosen a state
motto. Some of them have been integrated into state flags and/or
state seals.

Yet again, some have been officially designated by act of state
legislature, others figure unofficially as elements of a
state’s seal.

A state motto is a brief symbolic description that tries to
capture the ‘soul’, intention or character of a particular state
and thereby also its inhabitants.

More or less the same intention applies for state nicknames
and state slogans. Official state slogans are most often a
state’s attempt at attracting tourists to the nation. Unofficial

funny state slogans are typically made by companies to sell
on t shirts and other souvenir items.

Sometimes the state nicknames and state slogans appear on
license plates.

Now, back to the state motto: As you are about to discover,
the motto will appear as either a single word or a whole
sentence typically in English or Latin. However, in some states
they also appear in a Native American tongue, or in Spanish,
Greek, French or Italian.

The essence of a state’s motto is often related to what is
considered proud American virtues such as:

• Together we are Stronger – Strength through National
Union:

Illinios,

Kentucky,

Louisiana,

Nevada,

North Dakota, and

Vermont

• Admiration of Labour – Hard work is the key to Success:


Kansas,

Oklahoma, and

Utah

• We are born Free and will fight for Justice, Freedom and
Independence:

Alabama,

Delaware,

Georgia,

Hawaii,

Iowa,

Louisiana,

Massachusetts,

Mississippi,

Missouri,

Nebraska,

New Hampshire,

New Jersey,

North Dakota,

Pennsylvania,

Vermont,

West Virginia, and

Wyoming

Some state mottos reflect the importance of belief and faith
in:

• A higher Deity – In God we Trust:

United States,

Arizona,

Colorado,

Florida,

Ohio, and

South Dakota

• Hope:

Rhode Island,

South Carolina, and

Washington

Below is a list of state mottos for all the states. If you
hunger for more inspiring need-to-know info on a unique state
message and also happen to be interested in expressive,
sometimes quite funny, state nicknames and state slogans, just
click on the individual state below and presto, instant wisdom
nicely wrapped and compressed:

State Trivia

750 Trivia Questions and Answers

The Complete List of State Mottos:

• United States: “In God We Trust”

• Alabama: “Audemus Jura Nostra Defendere” (We Dare
Defend our Rights/We Dare Maintain our Rights)

• Alaska: “North to the Future”

• Arizona: “Ditas Deus” (God Enriches)

• Arkansas: “Regnat Populus” (The People Rule)

• California: “Eureka” (I have found it)

• Colorado: “Nil Sine Numine” (Nothing without
Providence/Nothing without God/Nothing without the Deity)

• Connecticut: “Qui Transtulit Sustinet Language” (He
Who Transplanted Still Sustains)

• Delaware: “Liberty and Independece”

• Florida: “In God We Trust”

• Georgia: “Wisdom Justice Moderation” and
(“Agriculture and Commerce”)

• Hawaii: “Ua Mau ke Ea o ka ‘Âina i ka Pono” (The
life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness)

• Idaho: “Esto Perpetua” (It is Perpetual)

• Illinois: “State Sovereignty, National Union”

• Indiana: “The Crossroads of America”

• Iowa: “Our liberties we prize and our rights we will
maintain”

• Kansas: “Ad Astra Per Aspera” (To the Stars through
Difficulties)

• Kentucky: “United we Stand, Divided we Fall” and “Deo
Gratiam Habeamus” (Let us be Grateful to God)

• Louisiana: “Union, Justice, and Confidence”

• Maine: “Dirigo”(“I direct”/”I lead”/”I guide”)

• Maryland: “Fatti Maschii, Parole Femine” (Strong
deeds, gentle words/Manly deeds, womanly words)

• Massachusetts: “Ense petit placidam sub libertate
quietem” (By the sword we seek peace, but peace only under
liberty)

• Michigan: “Si quaeris peninsulam amoenam,
circumspice” (“If you seek a pleasant peninsula, look about
you”)

• Minnesota: “L’Etoile du Nord” (The Star of the North)

• Mississippi: “Virtute et Armis” (By Valor and Arms)

• 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”

• Nevada: “All for Our Country”

• New Hampshire: “Live Free or Die”

• New Jersey: “Liberty and Prosperity”

• New Mexico: “Crescit eundo” (It Grows as It Goes)

• New York: “Excelsior (Ever Upwards/Higher/Superior)

• North Carolina: “Esse Quam Videri” (To be, rather
than to seem)

• North Dakota: “Liberty and Union Now and Forever, One
and Inseparable”

• Ohio: “With God All Things Are Possible”

• Oklahoma: “Labor Omnia Vincit” (Labour Conquers All
Things)

• Oregon: “She Flies With Her Own Wings”

• Pennsylvania: “Virtue, Liberty & Independence”

• Rhode Island: “Hope”

• South Carolina: “Dum Spiro Spero” (While I breathe, I
hope)

• South Dakota: “Under God the People Rule”

• Tennessee: “Agriculture and Commerce”

• Texas: “Friendship”

• Utah: “Industry”

• Vermont: “Freedom and Unity”

• Virginia: “Sic Semper Tyrannis” (Thus Always to
Tyrants)

• Washington: “Al-ki” or “Alki” (Bye and Bye/Hope for
the Future)

• West Virginia: “Montani Semper Liberi” (Mountaineers
Are Always Free)

• Wisconsin: “Forward”

• Wyoming: “Equal Rights”

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