Louisiana’s state motto, “Union, Justice, Confidence,” was adopted in 1902. Its origin is unknown, but it reflects the unity and belief in justice of Louisiana residents. The state seal and flag feature the brown pelican, a symbol dating back to the state’s first governor, William CC Claiborne. Governor Heard is credited with choosing the pelican for the state seal and incorporating the motto.
The official state motto of Louisiana, “Union, Justice, Confidence,” was adopted in 1902. No one is sure how this specific motto came to be chosen for the state of Louisiana, but its theme of unity is reflected in the official mottos of many other US states. Louisiana’s state motto is said to reflect the aspirations and ideals of its citizens. The motto reflects the unity of purpose supposedly experienced by all Louisiana residents and their collective belief in the power of justice. Louisiana’s state motto appears on the state flag and its great seal.
The Louisiana state great seal was adopted on April 30, 1902, by which time the state motto had already been chosen. Credit for designing the Louisiana state seal and choosing the state motto usually goes to Governor William Wright Heard, who was in office at the time. Heard himself is believed to have chosen the state motto based on his own concept of what ideals are important to sustaining a functioning state government.
The Louisiana motto appears on the current state flag and seal accompanied by the brown pelican. This bird, which has long been used to represent the perceived ideals of Louisiana citizens, is the officially recognized bird symbol of the state. The use of the brown pelican in Louisiana’s official symbolism is said to date back to the early 19th century, when the state’s first governor, William CC Claiborne, began using it as a territorial and, later, state symbol. Popular mythology at the time stated that the brown pelican routinely fed its young with its own flesh when no other food sources could be found. Governor Claiborne is said to have admired the symbolism of this mythological act so much that he decided that the brown pelican should represent the state of Louisiana and its residents.
Governor Heard is believed to have continued this symbolic tradition when he selected the brown pelican to appear on the great seal of the state in 1902. The pelican on the seal is depicted in the act of feeding its young by feeding them fragments of its own flesh. The Louisiana state motto appears on the seal with the words “Union” and “Justice” emblazoned above the pelican and the word “Justice” written below. On the Louisiana state flag, the motto appears on a ribbon below the pelican and its chicks.
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