What does Semper Fidelis mean? Unveil the history behind American mottos

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Mottos play an important role in our lives. Nations, states, companies, and organizations of all kinds choose them and uphold them with utmost care: they encapsulate the beliefs, values, and ideas that guide them. Let's have a look at some of our favorite American mottos, their meanings, and the history behind them!

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This We'll Defend has been the motto of the United States Army since the days of the Revolutionary War, when it was still the Continental Army. It manifests the unwavering will to defend and preserve the interests of the nation above everything else. Today, it can be seen on the official US Army flag and on the emblem of the Department of the Army.

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Latin | ā-ˌplu̇r-i-bu̇s-ˈü-nu̇m | Out of Many, One

While probably second to In God We Trust in popularity contests, E Pluribus Unum is still a major motto of the United States of America, appearing on the Great Seal. It perfectly encapsulates the sentiment behind the creation of the United States: many states coming together to form a strong and free Union. Out of many, one.

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Latin | sem-pər-fə-ˈdā-ləs | Always Faithful/Loyal

Usually shortened to Semper Fi, this is the motto of choice for the United States Marine Corps and many other military and civilian organizations. It embodies the Marines' values of honor, courage, and commitment; as well as their unyielding loyalty towards each other and the people they serve.

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The Boy Scouts of America is one of the largest scouting organizations in the world, with close to 3,000,000 active members. It's been part of the lives and youth memories of many American citizens. Be Prepared finds its roots in the 1908 book Scouting for Boys by the British Army Officer Robert Baden-Powell.

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Latin | sem-pər-pə-ˈrä-təs | Always Ready

No one knows for certain how the words Semper Paratus came to be the motto of the United States Coast Guard, but it was Captain Francis Saltus Van Boskerck who immortalized them when he penned the 1928 march of the same name (now, naturally, the official march of the Coast Guard).

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General John Stark, New Hampshire´s most famous American Revolution hero, wrote Live Free or Die: Death is not the worst of Evils as a toast after the war. His words reflect the ideals of liberty that flourished during both the French Revolution and the American War of Independence.

Live Free or Die is now the official state motto of New Hampshire, and can also be found on the state´s license plates.

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Latin | ad-ˈa-strə-ˌpər-ˈa-spə-rə | To the Stars through Adversity

Different variations of the phrase Ad Astra per Aspera have been frequently used by a large number of organizations. This is because it represents a noble sentiment: that all hardships will eventually pass, and that progress comes through enduring them.

Ad Astra per Aspera is now the state motto of Kansas.

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Latin | sem-pər-sü-prə | Always Above

Fitting for the United States Space Force, Semper Supra (Always Above) has been their motto and the name of their official march since 2022. The motto was coined by US Air Force Senior Airman Daniel Sanchez, who chose it after researching the mottos of other branches of the military and deciding that Semper Supra and its translation were easy to say and memorize.

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Latin | lä-ˌbȯr-ˌȯm-nē-ˌä-ˈwiŋ-kit | Work Conquers All

Close in sentiment to Ad Astra per Aspera, this phrase emphasizes that anything can be achieved by hard work and dedication. It has a long history, dating back to a poem by Virgil during Caesar's rule in Ancient Rome. Labor Omnia Vincit has been used extensively as a slogan, and it serves as the motto of the state of Oklahoma.

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While NASA has used Ad Astra per Aspera as a slogan on different occasions, For the Benefit of All is its official motto. This phrase encapsulates the spirit of NASA's mission, which is to explore the secrets of the universe for the benefit of all humanity.

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The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an organization that takes pride in holding its members to the highest standards of personal character. That´s why they chose Fidelity, Bravery, Integrity as their motto, to showcase the values they prize the most. Coincidentally, these three terms can also be abbreviated as the initialism FBI.

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A deceptively simple motto with a storied background, Friendship is a rough translation of the name of Texas itself. Texas or Tejas was the Spanish transcription of the name of a local native tribe, whose name meant "friends" or "allies." In time, Texas became the name of the state, and its original meaning of Friendship survived as its official motto.

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Adopted by Congress in 1956, In God We Trust became the official motto of the United States, replacing E Pluribus Unum, which had been in use since its appearance in the design of the Great Seal of the United States. It was received with almost unanimous approval by the general population, and it remains one of the most popular mottos in America. It's on display on several government buildings and, of course, printed on American currency.

Turkey Day!

Learn about one of our favorite holidays with these Thanksgiving facts!

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The last Thursday of November marks one of America’s favorite holidays: Thanksgiving. This iconic celebration is not only a time for delicious food and time well-spent with family and loved ones, but it is also a holiday that makes us think about what it means to be an American. With that in mind, we have selected a few fun and interesting facts about Thanksgiving to help you embrace the holiday spirit. Enjoy!

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We’ll start at the very beginning with the first Thanksgiving. Most historians mark 1621 as the year of the first Thanksgiving dinner, hosted by the Pilgrims of Plymouth, Massachusetts, to celebrate the good harvest held that year. In order to thank them for their assistance during the scarcity of the previous winter, the Pilgrims shared the celebration with the Wampanoag tribe.

Having said that, some historians argue that the earliest precursor to Thanksgiving happened in 1619 when 38 English settlers arrived in what is now the Commonwealth of Virginia. Their arrival was immediately followed by a religious celebration, designated as an annual observance, to serve as "a day of thanksgiving to Almighty God."

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But what’s Thanksgiving without its undisputed star? For decades, American families have served turkey as the centerpiece of their Thanksgiving dinners. After all, the holiday is so closely associated with this bird that many call this holiday by the unofficial nickname "Turkey Day." Such is America’s fascination with turkeys that an estimated 46 million are prepared each year.

Interestingly, while nowadays turkey definitively takes center stage in almost every American table, the truth is that this beloved farm bird wasn’t featured in the first Thanksgiving dinner. Instead, the inaugural feast featured fruits, vegetables, fish such as cod and bass, and meats like venison.

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While Thanksgiving is undeniably a time to spend with family, there are still a few things all Americans can enjoy about it. Case in point: Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade through the streets of New York City. Nearly 100 years have passed since the first time this legendary parade took place in 1924, making it the second-oldest Thanksgiving parade, after Philadelphia's.

Macy’s Parade traditionally runs from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day, moving throughout Manhattan streets and ending outside Macy's Herald Square. Its most memorable moments usually come from its delightful and iconic floats, with Peanut’s Snoopy standing out as one of the most beloved characters to hover over the excited crowds.

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We have been dealing with some age-old traditions up to this point, so let’s now focus on a relatively recent one. While the annual ceremony known as the National Thanksgiving Turkey Presentation, on which the U.S. president is presented a live turkey by the National Turkey Federation, dates back to the 1940s, we are instead talking about the tradition known as the turkey pardon.

While President Reagan is often credited as the first to formally pardon a presidential turkey, previous presidents also spared the lives of their gifted poultry: For instance, both President Kennedy and Carter returned their turkeys to live on farms or in petting zoos. Having said that, the tradition became a widely recognized tradition during the presidency of George H.W. Bush, with every president after him issuing pardons on their turkeys.

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Thanksgiving tends to be a busy time for everyone: with so much food to cook and decorations to prepare, everyone has to pitch in and do their part. But your dinner table is definitively not the only busy place around—Thanksgiving tends to be the busiest time of the year for air travel since millions of Americans go back home to spend time with their loved ones.

To be fair, the busiest travel days are typically the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and the Sunday after, as these are the days when most people hit the road or take to the skies. It’s estimated that approximately 31% of Americans travel for Thanksgiving.

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Turkey might be synonymous with this holiday, but we all know that a truly memorable Thanksgiving table is brimming with delicious dishes. So, let’s take some time to pay homage to the myriad of incredible side dishes that accompany us every Thanksgiving.

The usual favorites include yams, green bean casserole, and cranberry sauce, but the truth is that each family introduces their own unique twists and preferences to the table. We’ll leave you the next few lines to reminisce about those amazing dishes that would make your Thanksgiving extra special.

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As long as traditions go, this one seems timeless: Who doesn’t remember tossing around the old pigskin while waiting for Thanksgiving dinner to be ready? Football and Thanksgiving have been synonymous throughout modern American history, whether through a friendly game of flag football or by watching professional games broadcast on TV.

Since its creation in 1920, the NFL has played games on Thanksgiving Day. Traditionally, two of these games have been hosted by the Detroit Lions since 1934, and by the Dallas Cowboys since 1966. This tradition comes from the days before the formation of the NFL when college football games were a hallmark of the November season.

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As we mentioned earlier, Thanksgiving dates back to many years before the founding of our country. However, it wasn’t until the 19th century that this holiday was declared a National Holiday, proclaimed by the Great Emancipator himself, President Lincoln.

During the turmoil of the American Civil War, President Lincoln issued a proclamation establishing a National Thanksgiving Holiday would henceforth be celebrated on the 26th of November 1863, the last Thursday of November that year. In this document, the president stated that the gifts of God to the United States should be "gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and voice by the whole American people."

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Hear us out: By no means are we trying to besmirch the good name of our 3rd President with this entry. However, it should be said that, during Thomas Jefferson’s presidency, no federal Thanksgiving holiday was declared. Was Thomas Jefferson some sort of Thanksgiving Grinch, that tried to keep this holiday all for himself? Far from it. Like much of what this country owes to this Founding Father, this had to do with Jefferson’s strong ideals.

Before President Lincoln declared a federal Thanksgiving Day, U.S. Presidents had to declare the holiday annually. Because Thanksgiving included prayers to thank God for His blessings, Jefferson considered that declaring a National Thanksgiving would be against his belief of separating church and state.

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We’ll close this article by highlighting what we believe to be the most important part of this holiday. As we mentioned earlier, Thanksgiving is a time for being thankful for the many things going on in our lives.

The ways in which people express their gratitude vary. Some choose this time to give back to their fellow Americans and sign up to help provide a Thanksgiving meal for those in need. In any case, we believe that the most important thing is to let your loved ones and your community know in what ways they have made a difference this year.