North Dakota State Motto

"Liberty and union, now and forever, one and inseparable"

North Dakota State Seal

Adopted in 1889.

Language: English

Focus: Union vs. State and Liberty and Freedom

See North Dakota State Seal

North Dakota's official state motto 'Liberty and union, now and forever, one and inseparable' was adopted as an element of its official seal in 1889.

The motto of Dakota Territory was Liberty and Union, One and Inseparable, Now and Forever. This language was suggested by Dr. Joseph Ward of Yankton, South Dakota, who was quoting from Daniel Webster's Reply to Hayne. However, the motto used for the Territory had two of the phrases reversed; when North Dakota became a state that error was corrected.


North Dakota State Motto
"Liberty and union, now and forever, one and inseparable"

These states have mottos that focus on liberty.

  1. Delaware: "Liberty and Independence"
  2. Iowa: "Our Liberties We Prize, and Our Rights We Will Maintain"
  3. Massachusetts: "Ense petit placidam sub libertate quietem"
    (By the Sword We Seek Peace, but Peace Only under Liberty)
  4. New Jersey: "Liberty and Prosperity"
  5. North Dakota: "Liberty and Union Now and Forever; One and Inseparable"
  6. Pennsylvania: "Virtue, Liberty, and Independence"

These state have mottos that reference the union:

  1. Illinois: "State Sovereignty; National Union"
  2. Kentucky: "United We Stand, Divided We Fall"
  3. Louisiana: "Union, Justice, and Confidence"
  4. Nevada: "All for Our Country"
  5. North Dakota: "Liberty and Union Now and Forever; One and Inseparable"
  6. Vermont: "Freedom and Unity"

North Dakota Constitution

The law designating the official North Dakota state motto is found in the North Dakota Constitution, Article 9, Section 2.

ARTICLE IX - GENERAL PROVISIONS.
Section 2.

Section 2. The following described seal is hereby declared to be and hereby constituted the great seal of the state of North Dakota, to wit: A tree in the open field, the trunk of which is surrounded by three bundles of wheat; on the right a plow, anvil and sledge; on the left, a bow crossed with three arrows, and an Indian on horseback pursuing a buffalo toward the setting sun; the foliage of the tree arched by a half circle of forty-two stars, surrounded by the motto "Liberty and Union Now and Forever, One and Inseparable"; the words "Great Seal" at the top; the words "State of North Dakota" at the bottom; "October 1st" on the left and "1889" on the right. The seal to be two and one-half inches in diameter.

Mottos of the States
What your Motto? US Official State Mottos