New Mexico State Motto: Crescit Eundo
Fact-checked • Updated December 3, 2025
OFFICIAL STATE SEAL
"Crescit Eundo"
It grows as it goes
About This Motto
New Mexico's state motto, Crescit Eundo, was adopted in 1913 as part of state seal legislation. Latin phrase translates to It grows as it goes. William G. Ritch added motto to territorial seal in 1882. Legislature officially adopted it in 1887 as part of territorial coat of arms. Phrase comes from Lucretius' De Rerum Natura written in first century BCE. New Mexico became 47th state January 6, 1912.
What the Motto Means
Crescit Eundo translates literally as it grows by going. Common rendering is it grows as it goes. Latin word crescit comes from verb crescere meaning to grow or increase. Eundo is ablative case of gerund from verb eo meaning to go. Phrase describes something gaining strength through motion.
Motto comes from Lucretius' epic scientific poem De Rerum Natura. On the Nature of Things appeared around 50 BCE. Book VI, line 341 contains the phrase. Context matters. Lucretius wrote about thunderbolt increasing in strength as it moves across sky. Original passage describes how thunderbolt acquires more mobility which grows by moving. Force increases its massive strength and hardens its impact.
Seal designers in 1913 referenced thunderbolt as symbol of dynamic progress. Phrase captured New Mexico's potential for growth and development. Territory showed expansion possibilities. Statehood promised further advancement. Motto expressed optimism about future. Growing while going forward fit territorial mindset.
William G. Ritch chose phrase in 1882. Served as acting territorial secretary. Added Latin motto to early 1860s seal design. No recorded explanation exists for his choice. Fit well with territorial aspirations. Legislature liked version enough to adopt officially in 1887. Phrase remained when New Mexico achieved statehood in 1912.
Historical Background
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New Mexico Territory Created
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ended Mexican-American War in 1848. United States acquired New Mexico region. Compromise of 1850 established New Mexico Territory officially on September 9, 1850. Territory included present-day New Mexico, most of Arizona, parts of Colorado and Nevada. Boundaries changed multiple times. Arizona split off as separate territory in 1863.
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First Territorial Seal 1851
Territorial government organized in 1851. First seal featured American eagle with olive branch and three arrows. Words Great Seal of the Territory of New Mexico appeared on rim. Original seal disappeared long ago. Possibly placed in cornerstone of Soldiers' Monument in Santa Fe Plaza. Only imprints survive showing basic design.
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Revised Seal Early 1860s
Unknown official adopted new seal design in early 1860s. Featured American bald eagle with outstretched wings. Smaller Mexican eagle appeared beneath American eagle. Mexican eagle grasped snake in beak and cactus in talons. Design showed change of sovereignty from Mexico to United States in 1846. Date 1850 appeared at bottom in Roman numerals MDCCCL.
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Ritch Adds Motto 1882
William G. Ritch served as acting territorial secretary. Embellished earlier seal design in 1882. Added Latin phrase Crescit Eundo to seal. Created version for first New Mexico Blue Book cover. Design highlighted agriculture, mining, manufacturing scenes. Aztec figure looked toward sunrise suggesting promising future. Daily New Mexican declared design most satisfactory January 1, 1882.
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Official Adoption 1887
Territorial legislature met in 1887. Adopted first official territorial seal and coat of arms. Chose simpler design than Ritch's elaborate Blue Book version. Kept binational eagles and Crescit Eundo motto. Maintained Territory of New Mexico wording with Roman numerals MDCCCL. This 1887 version served through statehood process.
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Statehood January 6, 1912
President William Howard Taft signed proclamation admitting New Mexico. New Mexico became 47th state on January 6, 1912. Congress passed enabling act in 1910. Allowed territory to draft state constitution. Constitution adopted January 21, 1911. Voters ratified document. Territory had waited over 60 years for statehood. Arizona followed as 48th state on February 14, 1912.
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State Seal Adopted June 1913
Legislature appointed commission to design state seal. Governor William C. McDonald, Attorney General Frank W. Clancy, Chief Justice Clarence J. Roberts, Secretary of State Antonio Lucero served on commission. They filed report in June 1913. Recommended continuing territorial seal design. Changed only date from MDCCCL to 1912. Kept Crescit Eundo motto unchanged. State seal remains essentially same today.
Meaning & Significance Today
Great Seal of State of New Mexico features motto prominently. Seal shows two eagles: American bald eagle and Mexican harpy eagle. American eagle spreads wings over smaller Mexican eagle. Mexican eagle holds snake in beak and cactus in talons. Date 1912 appears under eagles. Crescit Eundo curves on scroll below. Words Great Seal of the State of New Mexico circle outer rim.
Motto sparked debate over decades. Critics called phrase obscure and confusing. Some questioned seal's aesthetic value. 1965 State Archivist Myra Ellen Jenkins discovered eagles anatomically incorrect since 1887. Margaret Kimbrough complained left-facing American eagle suggested cowardice. Arch Napier joked Mexican eagle must hurt holding cactus for 50 years. Jenkins recommended proper eagle depictions.
Commission made legislative mistake in 1913. Original recommendation specified both eagles be American golden eagles. When statutes codified in 1915, legislature erroneously retained 1887 wording. Official statute still directs Mexican eagle and American eagle despite commission intent. Mistake remains in law today. Seal continues using binational eagles rather than golden eagles.
New Mexico flag adopted 1915 initially featured state seal. Design proved too elaborate for flag. Zia sun symbol replaced seal in 1925 redesign. Simpler symbol worked better on flag. Seal remains on official government documents, legal papers, state correspondence. Secretary of State maintains custody per state constitution. Motto continues expressing New Mexico's growth and progress.
Cultural Context in New Mexico
William G. Ritch Background
Ritch served multiple roles in territorial government. Acting territorial secretary when he added motto in 1882. Published first New Mexico Blue Book that year. Created elaborate seal design for Blue Book cover. Featured agricultural and industrial scenes alongside motto. Ritch had no apparent motive for choosing Crescit Eundo. Phrase simply fit territorial growth narrative well.
Lucretius Legacy
Roman poet and philosopher died around 50 BCE. De Rerum Natura influenced Western thought for centuries. Poem explained natural world through atomic theory. Challenged religious explanations of phenomena. Described physics, weather, human behavior through materialist lens. Thunderbolt passage provided metaphor for gathering force. New Mexico designers extracted this growth-through-motion concept.
Territorial Growth Era
New Mexico Territory experienced expansion throughout late 1800s. Mining industry developed. Timber operations grew. Sheep ranching became major economic activity. Railroads arrived bringing commerce. Santa Fe Railway opened in 1879. Population increased steadily. Territory demonstrated capacity for self-governance. These developments supported argument for statehood.
Long Path to Statehood
Territory waited 62 years for statehood admission. Congress delayed repeatedly. Concerns about population diversity slowed process. Territory's Hispanic majority faced discrimination. Some viewed population as alien to U.S. culture. New Mexico proved itself through development and governance. Finally achieved statehood in 1912 as one of last contiguous states admitted.
Current Law
New Mexico Statutes govern coat of arms and seal design. State statute describes complete seal specifications. Mexican eagle grasps serpent in beak and cactus in talons. American eagle shields Mexican eagle with outspread wings. American eagle holds arrows in talons. Date 1912 appears under eagles. Motto Crescit Eundo appears on scroll. Disc bears coat of arms with words Great Seal of the State of New Mexico around edge.
Legislature never adopted Crescit Eundo separately from seal. Motto exists only as seal element. This mirrors pattern in many states. New Mexico law provides heraldic specifications. Statute derives from 1913 commission report. Constitution requires Secretary of State keep seal for official documents. Design remains faithful to territorial original with date change.
Interesting Facts About the Motto
Fact 1 of 15
The motto comes from Lucretius' epic poem 'De Rerum Natura' (On the Nature of Things), Book VI, line 341.
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.
Comprehensive history of seal design, William G. Ritch's 1882 addition, Lucretius' De Rerum Natura context, and 1913 commission report. • Accessed: December 31, 2025
Official state documentation of seal history, territorial versions, and detailed article about controversies over design. • Accessed: December 31, 2025
Historical context of January 6, 1912 statehood and President Taft's role in admission. • Accessed: December 31, 2025
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