Georgia’s state seal has two sides, with “Wisdom, Justice, Moderation” on one and “Agriculture and Commerce” on the other. The former is considered the state motto and represents the three branches of government, while the latter is often mistaken as a motto but is actually just a proclamation. The seal has remained unchanged since 1799, with the only alteration being the date changed to 1776 in 1914. The state flag also features the motto “Wisdom, Justice, Moderation” and the phrase “In God We Trust.”
The southern state of Georgia, nicknamed “The Peach State,” has more than one motto, although one is far more accepted than the other. Many believe Georgia’s state motto is “Wisdom, Justice, Moderation,” since that direct message appears on one side of the state’s double-sided state seal, which has remained unchanged since 1799. The other side of the seal, however , has the inscription “Agriculture and Commerce”, which offers a choice of mottos.
When the first state legislators approved the double-sided seal of Georgia on February 8, 1799, brief instructions were given regarding its appearance. The front of the seal depicts a three-column structure holding up the state’s “Constitution”. Each pillar is decorated with a banner: “Wisdom”, “Justice” and “Moderation”. The three pillars also represent the three established branches of state and federal government: the legislative, judicial, and executive branches, respectively.
Historians point to Plato as the source of Georgia’s main state motto. The Greek philosopher wrote in Republic that these pillars, together with “Courage”, form the basic building block of civil government. While courage is not represented by a pillar or a name, a single armed soldier, standing at attention between “Justice” and “Moderateness,” is said to represent this other quality.
The other side of the seal, however, boldly proclaims “Agriculture and Commerce” around the perimeter. This is why many believe that this is another of Georgia’s mottos, even though Tennessee has chosen it as its official motto. Central to this proclamation on the reverse of the seal is an image depicting a tall ship carrying a United States flag and two smaller expedition boats, with a farmer and a distant lumber yard beside them.
However, no official Georgia state motto was actually selected. In fact, only a few dozen states have an official motto. The only change that has occurred to the Georgia state seal since 1799 was in 1914, when lawmakers changed the date on both sides of the seal to read “1776” – the year of American independence. Until then, the seal read “1799,” for when the state joined the union.
The Georgia state motto from the front of the seal, “Wisdom, Justice, Moderation,” trumps the competition when taking into consideration the state flag. Different versions of the Georgia state flag since 1902 carried the front portion of the state seal only, along the left side in a blue field. The current version of the flag, adopted in 2003, also bears the seal and accompanying motto. It also blatantly states, “In God We Trust.”
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