Alabama State Motto: Audemus Jura Nostra Defendere
Fact-checked • Updated December 1, 2025
OFFICIAL STATE SEAL
"Audemus Jura Nostra Defendere"
We Dare Defend Our Rights
About This Motto
Alabama adopted Audemus Jura Nostra Defendere as its official state motto in 1939. The Latin phrase translates to We Dare Defend Our Rights. You see it on the state coat of arms today, where it appears on a golden band beneath the shield.
What the Motto Means
Alabama's state motto appears in Latin: Audemus jura nostra defendere. The English translation is We Dare Defend Our Rights.
Some sources give an alternate translation. We Dare Maintain Our Rights captures the same spirit. Both versions express courage to protect individual freedoms.
The phrase comes from a single line in an 18th-century poem. Sir William Jones wrote An Ode in Imitation of Alcaeus in 1781. One stanza reads: 'Men, who their duties know, but know their rights, and, knowing, dare maintain.' Marie Bankhead Owen took these words and shaped them into Alabama's motto.
Historical Background
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Marie Bankhead Owen's Role
Alabama's state historian and director of the Alabama Department of Archives and History requested a new coat of arms in 1923. Marie Bankhead Owen selected words from Sir William Jones's 1781 poem. She adapted the line about daring to maintain rights into a state motto.
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Translation to Latin
Professor W. B. Saffold translated Owen's English phrase into Latin. The University of Alabama professor produced Audemus jura nostra defendere in 1923.
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Official Adoption
The coat of arms and motto were created in 1923. Legislature made it official on March 14, 1939. The motto appears on a golden band across the bottom of the coat of arms.
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Previous Motto
Alabama used another phrase before 1939. The Reconstruction Era legislature adopted Here We Rest on December 29, 1868. That earlier motto appeared on Alabama's second seal.
Meaning & Significance Today
Modern Alabama residents connect the motto to civic courage and personal freedom. The phrase appears on government documents and official state materials.
The coat of arms displays the motto beneath symbols of Alabama's colonial history. Four flags divide the shield: France, Spain, Great Britain, and the Confederacy. The United States shield overlays the center.
Bald eagles flank both sides of the coat of arms. A sailing ship sits above the shield. The Baldine carried French explorers Iberville and Bienville to Mobile Bay.
Cultural Context in Alabama
Literary Source
Sir William Jones wrote political poetry in the 1780s. His Ode in Imitation of Alcaeus criticized government corruption and monarchical abuse. The poem advanced liberal ideas about individual rights and moral governance.
1920s Alabama
State officials wanted a new coat of arms during the 1920s. Alabama had used the Here We Rest motto since Reconstruction. Marie Bankhead Owen chose a phrase that stressed rights and courage instead of passive rest.
Public Display
You find the motto on state buildings, educational materials, and official publications. The coat of arms with its Latin phrase serves as Alabama's heraldic symbol.
Current Law
Alabama law designates Audemus jura nostra defendere as the official state motto. Legislature adopted it March 14, 1939.
Interesting Facts About the Motto
Fact 1 of 6
The USS Alabama submarine uses the same motto.
Sources & References
This article has been researched using authoritative sources to ensure accuracy and reliability. All information has been fact-checked and verified against official government records.
Official state archives with detailed information about Alabama's symbols and history. • Accessed: December 31, 2025
Comprehensive article covering the motto's history, source, and adoption. • Accessed: December 31, 2025
Details about Alabama's official coat of arms and its symbolism. • Accessed: December 31, 2025
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