Arkansas State Motto

Arkansas’s state motto is Regnat Populus, which is Latin for “the people rule.” No other state employs this motto, in either Latin or English, although South Dakota’s comes close: “Under God, the people rule.” The motto’s use is mostly limited to the Seal of State and its derivatives used by various state officers.

The constitution under the terms of which Arkansas entered statehood in 1836 stipulated that the governor must “keep” the Great Seal of the State. Its design, mentioned in Article 5, Section 12, should be “the present seal of the territory, until otherwise directed by the general assembly.” That seal bore, among other elements, the Latin motto Regnant Populi, which could be translated as “the people rule.” The origin of the phrase, either in Latin or English, is unknown. Its promoter was likely the recording clerk of the first territorial assembly, Samuel Calhoun Roane, who is usually credited with the initial design of the territorial seal. The 1864 Arkansas General Assembly reiterated the phrase’s place in the state seal while specifying an updated, if not simplified, design for the omnibus emblem.

In 1907, the General Assembly acted to modify the motto’s Latin form in order to better communicate a sense of its English version. “The people rule” had originally been rendered in Latin as regnant populi, employing the plural form of the noun, i.e., “the (or ‘some’) peoples,” implying multiple groups. An act approved by Acting Governor Xenophon O. Pindall on May 24, 1907, modified the subject to populus, signifying a single group, as in “the people.” Adjusting the verb to agree with the subject resulted in regnat populus, in which form the motto survives today.

Alaska State Motto

Motto: North to the Future

Adoption of the Alaska State Motto

The United States purchased Alaska from Russia in 1867.

In 1963, as the 100-year anniversary of this purchase was approaching, a commission was formed to organize a celebration. As one of the events leading up to the celebration, the Alaska Centennial Commission sponsored a contest to come up with a centennial motto and emblem that would express the unique character of the State of Alaska. They offered a $300.00 prize to the winning entry. 761 entries were received by the Commission. In December 1963, the commission announced that they had selected Juneau newsman Richard Peter’s suggestion: North to the Future.

The Alaska Legislature officially adopted North to the Future as the official motto of Alaska in 1967, during Alaska’s Purchase Centennial celebration.

About the Alaska State Motto

The motto represents a forward-looking optimism, a state of promise. Richard Peter is quoted that the motto

“…is a reminder that beyond the horizon of urban clutter there is a Great Land beneath our flag that can provide a new tomorrow for this century’s ‘huddled masses yearning to be free.’ “

The motto also promotes the State of Alaska, advising that the future lies with the state to the north of the “lower 48”

Alabama State Motto

The last 2 years we’ve been exploring the state flowers and the state animals. Starting this year, we’ll explore the state mottos and state trees. (I was going to do state insects–who knew the states had state insects?– but most turned out to be honey bees…LOL)

We start with Alabama. Their motto is…

“We dare to
defend our rights”

The Alabama State Motto
The Alabama State motto is expressed in Latin as “Audemus jura nostra defendere” which means: We dare to defend our rights.

The motto is sometimes translated as “We dare to maintain our rights”. The motto was approved on March 14, 1939.

The Meaning of the Alabama State Motto
The meaning of the Alabama Motto reflects the aspirations and concepts of freedom, justice and independence. The motto also reflects the history of the War of Independence and the part Alabama played in the American Civil War.