Yesterday i realized the 50 states of the US had eclectic and delightful mottos. I’ve ranked them for you from coolest to uncoolest.
1: Ad astra per aspera - Kansas
To the stars through difficulties. This is beautiful and it looks great written out. I am confident Kansas will be the state closest to the stars (after resolving difficulties).
2: Salus populi suprema lex esto - Missouri
Let the welfare of the people be the supreme law. It sounds great, it’s grand, it’s bold, and it’s a wonderful priority.
3: Regnat populus - Arkansas
The people rule. I imagine a time traveler approaching Emperor Nero and saying, ‘I have two words for you....’
4: Labor omnia vincit - Oklahoma
Labor conquers all things. It’s a great attitude towards self-improvement, and i think more phrases should end in omnia vincit.
5: Sic semper tyrannis - Virginia
Thus always to tyrants. The flag clarifies the situation by showing a emperor being stabbed. This is delightfully overaggressive when placed next to Washington’s motto.
6: Excelsior - New York
Ever upward. A nice-sounding word. Definitely sounds like a sword.
7: Esse quam videri - North Carolina
To be, rather than to seem. A pretty cool choice of priority. Not like those videri states with their big gold cufflinks.
8: Dum spiro spero - South Carolina
While I breathe, I hope. A harmonious phrase that celebrates the indefatigable human potential for improvement.
9: Equality before the law - Nebraska
Choosing English instead of a stylish foreign language is a missed opportunity to show off. But this phrase gets better the more you repeat it. I like to imagine that when Nebraskans are cornered by journalists they just bark ‘Equality before the law!’ and close ranks.
10: Ua mau ke ea o ka ʻāina i ka pono - Hawaii
The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness. It’s in a local language, it’s very beautiful written out, it outlines a plan to benefit the entire ecosystem, and it’s just generally quite radiant.
11: Alis volat propriis - Oregon
She flies with her own wings. Very cool sentiment. Only marked down because the words don’t look quite as cool as omnia does.
12: Dirigo - Maine
I lead. It’s terse, it’s taut, it’s claiming victory out of nowhere, it’s Maine.
13: Live Free or Die - New Hampshire
Penalty for using boring English, but bonus for being the only state to realize you can append ‘or Die’ to any motto.
14: Audemus jura nostra defendere - Alabama
We dare defend our rights! Bonus for being the only state to realize you can prepend Audemus to any motto.
15: Serit ut alteri saeclo prosit - North Dakota
One sows for the benefit of another age. Yes, i know, it kindof sounds like ‘Search for the altered sequin among the prosaic’, but the meaning is quite cool. Radical long-game altruism.
16: Si quaeris peninsulam amoenam circumspice - Michigan
If you seek a pleasant peninsula, look about you. What??
17: Eureka - California
I have found it. A counterpoint to Maine’s Dirigo, and a geographical counterpoint as well.
18: Equal Rights - Wyoming
A wonderful priority, and charmingly bald phrasing.
19: Alki - Washington
By and by. This is Chinook, apparently. Washington is apparently the opposite of Alabama, who dares to defend.
20: Crescit eundo - New Mexico
It grows as it goes. I don’t like it as much as Ad astra per aspera, but i decided to rank all improvement mottos evenhandedly to avoid bias from the order i read them in.
21: Esto perpetua - Idaho
Let it be perpetual. It is quite verbally beautiful and it captures what we were all thinking - Let Idaho be the same forever!
22: Friendship - Texas
Could be phrased more stylishly, but it really is a rather nice motto.
23: Under God the people rule - South Dakota
I imagine a South Dakotan time traveler in 1300 CE pulling her hair and saying, ‘Oh my gosh, it’s not that hard, how many times to i have to explain the hierarchy?’
24: Montani semper liberi - West Virginia
Mountaineers are always free. Cheeky!
25: Deo gratiam habeamus - Kentucky
Let us be grateful to God. Very resonant words. Less focused on improvement and more remarking on the fact we made it this far.
26: State sovereignty, national union - Illinois
I know it’s confusing, but we put it in the motto and eventually you’ll get used to the concept. What a nerdy motto!
27: Nil sine numine - Colorado
Nothing without Providence. What beautiful and assonant words. A theme of several states is ‘The big thing is totally paramount, but the small thing is also cool just in a secondary sort of way.’
28: Forward - Wisconsin
In its troughs and at new peaks, Wisconsin always wants to do better :)
29: Industry - Utah
I didn’t know that. But it is a cool attitude. They say that most domains of human endeavor require hard work first of all.
30: Wisdom, Justice, Moderation - Georgia
I just think it’s a little boring. But i like prioritizing wisdom.
31: Virtue, liberty, and independence - Pennsylvania
The last two are, like, the same thing.
32: Qui transtulit sustinet - Connecticut
He who transplanted sustains. Apparently this is a phrase from the Vulgate Bible. I’m guessing the Europeans are the ones who transplanted. I like the sonics but i’m not convinced on the sentiment.
33: Fatti maschii, parole femine - Maryland
Strong deeds, gentle words. Note: I found that translation on Wikipedia and i don’t speak Latin so i don’t know if it’s the best one. I think this motto sounds like a humorously awkward compromise and probably seemed offensive from a 1800s-gender perspective as well as from a modern gender perspective.
34: With God, all things are possible - Ohio
Ohions are optimists whereas Coloradons are pessimists.
35: Liberty and prosperity - New Jersey
Tedious ‘list of nice things’ format, but i kindof like looking at New Jersey as a Utopian El Dorado.
36: Ense petit placidam sub libertate quietem - Massachusetts
By the sword we seek peace, but peace only under liberty. Sir, can you lower your sword and read me those criteria again?
37: Hope - Rhode Island
Inferior version of Dum spiro spero, but pleasantly minimal.
38: All For Our Country - Nevada
Typical Nevadan slogan, a people known for their radical push for big government and federal power.
39: Agriculture & Commerce - Tennessee
Not really cool enough for a crowd to shout in unison with their hands over their hearts. But at least it celebrates feeding the people i guess.
40: Ditat Deus - Arizona
God enriches. A weird mix of 100% religious and very lukewarm. God is a plus. Never turn down God when you don’t have to pay extra for Him. But the words do sound nice.
41: Stella quarta decima fulgeat - Vermont
May the fourteenth star shine bright. I hope the fourteenth state is a good one. This one has a impressively high style-to-substance ratio.
42: L’etoile du Nord - Minnesota
The star of the North. I’m not that impressed. If Oregon, Texas, and New York had joined in and chosen L’etoile du Ouest, Sud, & Est respectively, then this would have been cool. Pleasantly unique choice of language tho.
43: Virtute et armis - Mississippi
By valor and arms. Suddenly, we are amoral & fighting! Mississippi is apparently the most weapon-themed state.
44: North to the Future - Alaska
It was wise to clarify why North is good. Minnesota would have chosen A star featuring Anchorage.
45: Our liberties we prize & our rights we will maintain - Iowa
I don’t know, it’s just not exciting phrasing. Our lives are of utmost importance, & our safety will be protected. We have wonderful dogs, & we love our cats. Iowa is being maintained. Needs work.
46: Union, justice, confidence - Louisiana
Are these the top 3? Do political attack ads here accuse candidates of being secessionist, lax, and meek?
Gold & silver. Why should you live in Montana? Cash cash money. Autos deportivos y bling.
49: The Crossroads of America - Indiana
Next.
50: In God We Trust - Florida
Perhaps in Florida, bad things do not happen to good people.
Honorable mentions:
- Justitia Omnibus - Washington DC
Excellent!
- Samoa, Muamua Le Atua - American Samoa
Translation: Samoa, let God be first. (Samoa, imma let you finish...)
- Joannes Est Nomen Ejus - Puerto Rico
Translation: John is his name. Enough said.
(Honestly i changed my mind about the order partway thru typing this but didnt bother to reorder them.)
I think the messy inconsistency of these mottos is fairly beautiful. Despite having no style guide and apparently quite scattered priorities, these 50 governments share open borders and pretty excellent harmony by international standards.
