North Carolina’s state motto “Esse quam videri” means “To be, rather than to seem.” It was adopted in 1893 and comes from a statement by Cicero. North Carolina was the last of the original thirteen states to adopt a motto. Other state symbols include the gray squirrel, the flag, and the state song “The Old North State.” The motto is also included in the state’s coat of arms and Great Seal.
North Carolina’s state motto is a Latin phrase “Esse quam videri” which, translated into English, means “To be, rather than to seem.” It became the official state motto in 1893. North Carolina was one of the last original states to adopt a state motto.
The Latin saying is taken from The friendship of Marcus Tullius Cicero, otherwise known as Lelio. Cicero was an ancient Roman orator and statesman who wrote extensively on Greek schools of thought and philosophy. The state motto of North Carolina comes from a statement in chapter 26, De Amicita, from On Friendship – “Virtute enim ipsa non tam multi praediti esse quam videri volunt”. Roughly translated into English, this means “Few are those who wish to be endowed with virtue rather than appear so.”
Choosing an official state motto was a serious responsibility. The motto was chosen to reflect the characteristics of the state’s citizenship. When the North Carolina General Assembly officially adopted the state motto in 1893, it was the last of the original thirteen states to finally adopt one.
It’s not just North Carolina’s state motto that encourages patriotism and pride within the state. Other state emblems such as the flag, song, animal and bird are also important symbols of North Carolina. The state animal, the gray squirrel, made official in 1969, is a familiar furry figure in North Carolina. Their official state song “The Old North State” written by William Gaston, inspires the pride of the people of North Carolina.
The North Carolina flag consists of a union blue, or vertical bar on the left side and two horizontal bars on the right, red above and white below. In the blue section are the letters “N” and “C” on each side of a star and the dates “May 20, 1775” above and “April 12, 1776” below. Both of these dates were important dates in North Carolina history. May 20, 1775 was the date of Mecklenberg’s Declaration of Independence and April 12, 1776, the date of the Halifax Resolves.
The adoption of “Esse quam videri” as the state motto of North Carolina was accompanied by its inclusion in two other major state symbols. It was included at the foot of the coat of arms and engraved in the Great Seal of North Carolina. At the same time, the date “May 20, 1775” was inserted into the coat of arms.
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