Montani Semper Liberi

West Virginia State Motto

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West Virginia's Latin motto carved in stone

West Virginia's state motto (Montani Semper Liberi); carved on a stone seal that belonged to a library in Morgantown, West Virginia.  Photo by Mathers Museum of World Cultures/Flickr (Noncommercial Use Permitted with Attribution).

Official State Motto of West Virginia

The official state motto of West Virginia is "Montani Semper Liberi" (Latin for "Mountaineers are Always Free"). This motto was adopted with Article II, Section 2-7 of the state constitution signed in 1872. All State Mottos

The Latin motto ("Montani Semper Liberi") is featured on West Virginia's arms, which appear on the state seal and state flag. West Virginia's state nickname is "The Mountain State."

West Virginia

Images

West Virginia's official state seal; includes the date it became a state, the Latin state motto "Montani Semper Liberi" ("Mountaineers are Always Free"), and symbols of agriculture, mining, industry, and defense of liberty.  Photo by Joseph H. Diss Debar (1863)/Flickr (public domain image).

Official state seal of West Virginia

Videos

Mountaineers Are Always Free