Maine’s state motto is “Dirigo,” meaning “I lead” or “direct.” It was officially adopted in 1820 and is complemented by a symbolic depiction on the state seal. The seal features a moose, a pine tree, water, woodland, a farmer, and a sailor. The state flag has a plain blue background with the state seal in the center. Maine has several official state symbols, including the black-capped titmouse, Maine Coon cat, cranberry, wintergreen, landlocked salmon, eastern white pine, and bee.
Maine’s state motto is simply “Dirigo,” which means “I lead” or “direct.” Maine is one of only 15 US states to officially adopt a motto. Other states have unofficial mottos, meaning their mottos have not been officially ratified by the state legislature. The Maine state motto was officially adopted during the inaugural session of the Maine state held between May 21 and June 28, 1820. One of the interesting features of the Maine state motto is the fact that it is not only adopted as an element of the state seal, is also fully complemented by a depiction of symbolic meaning.
The state seal was also adopted in 1820 and has an image of two men on either side of a peaceful scene depicted on a shield. The scene is of a moose lying down in a field with a pine tree just behind it, along with images of water and woodland. The man on the left is a farmer holding a scythe, while the one on the right is a sailor resting on an anchor.
Atop the shield is a banner with an inscription of the Maine state motto: “I Dirigo.” At the top of the motto is an image of a North Star. The North Star has always been a guide for sailors as they steered their ships across the oceans. Likewise, the star symbolically represents the state of Maine, serving as a guide for its citizens. This is why Maine’s state motto is “I guide.”
Maine is also one of the US states to incorporate its seal into its flag. The state flag of Maine is a plain blue background with the state seal in the center. This flag is different from the original flag which was used between 1901 and 1909. The old flag had an image of a lonely pine tree with a star above it. The new flag was approved for official use by the Maine Legislature on February 23, 1909.
In addition to Maine’s state motto, other official state symbols include the black-capped titmouse, which is the official state bird, the Maine Coon cat, which is the official state cat, and the cranberry, which is the official state berry. The official state herb of Maine is wintergreen and the state fish is landlocked salmon. The state tree is the eastern white pine, while the state insect is the bee.
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