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State Sovereignty, National Union

Illinois State Motto

Sears Tower in Chicago; photo by Jeramey Jannene on Flickr (use permitted with attribution).

Official State Motto of Illinois

The official state motto of Illinois is "State Sovereignty, National Union" and appears on the Illinois state seal and state flag. All State Mottos

This motto was controversial after the Civil War (when national unity was considered paramount). The Illinois legislature commanded that the motto remain the same, but the new design for the state seal and flag twisted the scroll in a way that positioned "National Unity" at the top.

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