State Logos

Recently, my sister Joy asked me if I would write about state logos. She had been driving through the New England states where we grew up and was enjoying the different state logos. I think it was the logo from New Hampshire that got her thinking about this; Live Free or Die.

So I decided to look at the various logos for the states and territories that belong to the United States. Allow me to share some of them with you. Please note that the ones of particular interest to me are the ones that speak of God and/or defending freedom. Here goes.

“We Dare Defend Our Rights” – Alaska
“Let God Be First” – American Samoa (U.S. Territory)
“God Enriches” – Arizona
“The People Rule” – Arkansas
“Nothing Without God’s Will” – Colorado
“He Who Transplants Sustains” – Connecticut
“Liberty and Independence” – Delaware
“Justice for All” – District of Columbia (Washington DC)
“In God We Trust” – Florida
“The Life of the Land is Perpetuated in Righteousness” – Hawaii
“Our Liberties We Prize and Our Rights We Will Maintain” – Iowa
“Let Us Be Grateful to God” – Kentucky
“By the Sword We Seek Peace, But Peace Only Under Liberty” – Massachusetts
“By Valor and Arms” – Mississippi
“All For Our Country” – Nevada
“Live Free or Die” – New Hampshire
“With God, All Things are Possible” – Ohio
“Virtue, Liberty, and Independence” – Pennsylvania
“Hope” – Rhode Island
“Under God the People Rule” – South Dakota
“Freedom and Unity” – Vermont

As I looked through these various state logos several things struck me. First, some of the logos of the U.S. states or territories are in the language of the native people, such as Hawaii and American Samoa. Second, most of the state logos are either in English or Latin. Third, the dates of these logos established by each state do not date back as far as I would have expected. Case in point: Kentucky’s logo, “Let us be grateful to God” was as recent as 2002. Fourth, several states have logos in languages I would not have expected. Try this: “Eureka” which is Greek for “I have found it.” The state? California. Or “L’Etoille du Nord” which is French for “The Star of the North.” Where is this? Minnesota. Then there’s this one: “Oro y Plata” which is Spanish for “Gold and Silver.” This is Montana. Finally, there’s this one: “Al-ki” which is Chinook Jargon (Native American Indian) for “By and By.” The state? Washington.

Perhaps you found your state in this partial list. My birth state was not at first among them until I did some research. Connecticut has a rather odd and obscure logo: “He who transplanted sustains.” Huh? Granted, this logo was established in 1662, only forty-two years after the pilgrims arrived at Plymouth Rock, but I have no idea what it is intended to mean. In my research, the meaning of the Latin motto was explained in 1775, to wit, "We fix on our Standards and Drums the Colony arms, with the motto, Qui Transtulit Sustinet, round it in letters of gold, which we construe thus: ‘God, who transplanted us hither, will support us.’"

Now, I kind of like that! In fact, that would work for us today as a nation. God is not finished with us yet. He alone is more than able to right this ship of state we know and love as America.

God bless America – still.