All of the
United States' 50
states have a state
motto, as do the
District of Columbia and three
US territories. A motto is a phrase meant 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 "One from many") 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.