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Button Gwinnett signature Declaration
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Button Gwinnett, a bullet, and bestowed blessings

On this day in 1777, signer of the Declaration of Independence Button Gwinnett receives a bullet wound in a duel with political rival Lachlan McIntosh. He would die three days later.

The Georgia Patriot served as a member of the Continental Congress in 1776. As such, he was one of three Georgians to sign the Declaration of Independence.

Gwinnett’s Georgia

Lastly, in 1777 Button Gwinnett helped draft Georgia’s first State Constitution. Here is a portion:

ART. LVII. The great seal of this State shall have the following device: on one side a scroll, whereon shall be engraved, ” The Constitution of the State of Georgia; ” and the motto, “Pro bono publico.” On the other side, an elegant house, and other buildings, fields of corn, and meadows covered with sheep and cattle; a river running through the same, with a ship under full sail, and the motto, “Deus nobis haec otia fecit.”

Translation: “God has bestowed these blessings on us.”

Button Gwinnett signature Declaration

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Seal of Maine
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Maine: Dirigo and “God’s Aid and Direction”

On this day in 1820, Maine is the 23rd state admitted into the Union. The former province of Massachusetts gained admittance as a free state as part of the Missouri Compromise.

First, here is the Preamble of the Constitution of the State of Maine:
“We the people of Maine, in order to establish justice, insure tranquility, provide for our mutual defense, promote our common welfare, and secure to ourselves and our posterity the blessings of liberty, acknowledging with grateful hearts the goodness of the Sovereign Ruler of the Universe in affording us an opportunity, so favorable to the design; and, imploring God’s aid and direction in its accomplishment, do agree to form ourselves into a free and independent State, by the style and title of the State of Maine and do ordain and establish the following Constitution for the government of the same.”

I Direct

Next, as seen in the state seal depicted below, the North Star is accompanied by the state motto, Dirigo. That is Latin for “I Lead,” or Direct/Guide.

According to the Maine Library Bulletin:
“[T]he Polar Star has been considered the mariner’s guide and director in conducting the ship over the pathless ocean to the desired haven, and as the center of magnetic attraction; as it has been figuratively used to denote the point, to which all affections turn, and as it is here intended to represent the State, it may be considered the citizens’ guide, and the object to which the patriot’s best exertions should be directed.”

Desired haven. Center of attraction. Point of all affections. Citizens’ guide. Object of the patriot’s best exertions. Now that sounds like the “Sovereign Ruler of the Universe” from Whom “the people of Maine” sought “aid and direction.”

In our day, may “We the People” continue to do the same.

 

Seal of Maine

 

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Ohio Seal and Motto With God All Things Are Possible
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Ohio Statehood and an Optimistic Motto

On this day in 1803, on a technicality, Ohio becomes the 17th state in the union. This date marked the first meeting of the state’s General Assembly that year. In actuality, Ohio became a state a back on February 19.  That was the day President Thomas Jefferson endorsed the United States Congress’s decision granting statehood.

First, here is the Preamble of the Ohio Constitution:
“We, the people of the State of Ohio, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, to secure its blessings and promote our common welfare, do establish this Constitution.”

Next, the state motto is “With God All Things Are Possible.”
Thus, Ohio is one of five states with mottoes directly referencing God; Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Kentucky, and South Dakota are the others.

Rising, not setting

Lastly, as seen in the image below, the state seal depicts “a rising sun three-quarters exposed and radiating thirteen rays to represent the thirteen original colonies shining over the first state in the northwest territory.”

So, proper acknowledgement of the state’s powerful motto will help ensure that the sun is indeed rising, and not setting on the idea of America and the Judeo-Christian ethics of our lost founding. That’s plenty reason to be optimistic.

 

Ohio Seal and Motto With God All Things Are Possible

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Great Seal of the State of Arizona
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The State of Arizona and Ditat Deus

On this day in 1912, Arizona, known as the Grand Canyon state, becomes the last of the 48 coterminous United States admitted in to the Union.

First, here is the Arizona Constitution Preamble:
“We the people of the State of Arizona, grateful to Almighty God for our liberties, do ordain this Constitution.”

Enriched Enterprise

Next, The Great Seal of the State of Arizona, below, depicts the state’s enterprises of mining, ranching, farming, and climate.

Most importantly, the state motto “Ditat Deus,” featured prominently, and in reference to those enterprises, means “God enriches.”

Great Seal of the State of Arizona

 

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Seal of Oregon
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The State of Oregon and The Union

On this day in 1859, The Oregon Territory is officially admitted in to the Union as the 33rd state. Fittingly, the State Flag and the Great Seal feature the previous state motto “The Union.” This motto reflected the conflicting issues of slavery and statehood at the time.

The current official motto, Alis Volat Propriis, captures the independent spirit of the original provisional government of the territory. After all, it is Latin for “She flies with her own wings.”

Rights and Responsibilities

This is from the Constitution of Oregon Bill of Rights:

“All men shall be secure in the Natural right, to worship Almighty God according to the dictates of their consciences.”

Interestingly, the Bill of Rights also states that “No law shall be passed restraining the free expression of opinion, or restricting the right to speak, write, or print freely on any subject whatever; but every person shall be responsible for the abuse of this right.”

 

Seal of Oregon

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Seal of Massachusetts
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Massachusetts : Sixth State and Supreme Being

On this day in 1788, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts ratifies the Constitution, thereby becoming the sixth state in the Union.

The state motto is “Ense petit placidam sub libertate quietem.”
It means “By the sword we seek peace, but peace only under liberty.”

However, the full Latin phrase which serves as the source of this motto provides proper context. First, that phrase: “Manus haec inimica tyrannis ense petit placidam sub libertate quietem.”
Now, the translation: “This hand of mine, which is hostile to tyrants, seeks by the sword quiet peace under liberty.”

Much like the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts also counts the right of “enjoying and defending [our] lives and liberties” among Our “unalienable rights.”

What follows are some additional key excerpts from that Constitution. First, the third and final paragraph of the Preamble:

“We, therefore, the people of Massachusetts, acknowledging, with grateful hearts, the goodness of the great Legislator of the universe, in affording us, in the course of His providence, an opportunity, deliberately and peaceably, without fraud, violence or surprise, of entering into an original, explicit, and solemn compact with each other; and of forming a new constitution of civil government, for ourselves and posterity; and devoutly imploring His direction in so interesting a design, do agree upon, ordain and establish the following Declaration of Rights, and Frame of Government, as the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.”

Rights, Duties, and Happiness

To conclude, this next, highly instructive portion immediately follows the Preamble:

PART THE FIRST
A Declaration of the Rights of the Inhabitants of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts

Article II.

It is the right as well as the duty of all men in society, publicly, and at stated seasons to worship the Supreme Being, the great Creator and Preserver of the universe. And no subject shall be hurt, molested, or restrained, in his person, liberty, or estate, for worshipping God in the manner and season most agreeable to the dictates of his own conscience; or for his religious profession or sentiments; provided he doth not disturb the public peace, or obstruct others in their religious worship.

Article III.

As the happiness of a people, and the good order and preservation of civil government, essentially depend upon piety, religion and morality; and as these cannot be generally diffused through a community, but by the institution of the public worship of God, and of public instructions in piety, religion and morality… .”

 

Seal of Massachusetts

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Seal of Kansas
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The State of Kansas and “the realization of the impossible”

On this day in 1861, Kansas becomes the 34th state to join the Union, doing so as a free state.

Here’s a portion of the preamble of the Kansas Constitution:

“We, the people of Kansas, grateful to Almighty God for our civil and religious privileges, in order to insure the full enjoyment of our rights as American citizens, do ordain and establish this constitution of the state of Kansas…”

Ingalls, Impossible, Immortality and Injustice

Additionally, the state motto, “Ad astra per aspera,” is a Latin phrase meaning “To the stars through difficulties.”
John James Ingalls coined the motto in 1861, the same year as statehood.  He elaborated that, “The aspiration of Kansas is to reach the unattainable; its dream is the realization of the impossible.”

Ingalls was a member of the Wyandotte constitutional convention, which admitted Kansas as a free state. He also served as a state senator.

Indeed, it was Ingalls who wrote: “Irrespective of creeds and theology, they are wise who would recognize God in the Constitution, because faith in a Supreme Being, in immortality and the compensations of eternity conduces powerfully to social order by enabling man to endure with composure the injustice of this world in the hope of reparation in that which is to come.”

Our Lost Founding recognizes this, and it exists to share this world-changing wisdom with you so that your citizenry here and in the hereafter may be well-founded.

Seal of Kansas

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Seal of Connecticut
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Connecticut, the Sustinet State

On this day in 1788, Connecticut, The Constitution State, ratifies the Constitution, and becomes the fifth state in the Union.

First, here is the Preamble of the Constitution the State of Connecticut:

The People of Connecticut acknowledging with gratitude, the good providence of God, in having permitted them to enjoy a free government; do, in order more effectually to define, secure, and perpetuate the liberties, rights and privileges which they have derived from their ancestors; hereby, after a careful consideration and revision, ordain and establish the following constitution and form of civil government.

Additionally, the Constitution also refers to God as “the Supreme Being, the Great Creator and Preserver of the Universe.”

He Sustains

Next, the state motto on the Seal of the Republic of Connecticut is “Sustinet Qui Transtulit” which is Latin for “He Who Transplanted Still Sustains.”

According to Connecticut’s Official State Website, the likely inspiration for this motto comes from Psalm 80. It’s eighth and ninth verses are as follows: “You brought a vine out of Egypt; you drove out the nations and planted it. You cleared the ground for it; it took deep root and filled the land.

The three vines likely represent the three colonies that merged to form the Colony: New Haven, Saybrook, and Hartford.

Finally, it’s worth noting that the vines are supported and are, thus, bearing fruit.

Seal of Connecticut

 

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New Mexico State Seal
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New Mexico and the Almighty Author of Peace

On this day in 1912, New Mexico becomes the 47th state admitted into the Union.

First, here is the Preamble of the Constitution of the State of New Mexico:

“We, the people of New Mexico, grateful to Almighty God for the blessings of liberty, in order to secure the advantages of a state government, do ordain and establish this constitution.”

Then, Article II – Bill of Rights, Section 5. Rights under Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (the treaty by which New Mexico was ceded to the United States) preserved, states:
The rights, privileges and immunities, civil, political and religious guaranteed to the people of New Mexico by the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo shall be preserved inviolate.

This, of course, is right in between Section 4. Inherent rights (you know, “the rights of enjoying and defending life and liberty, of acquiring, possessing and protecting property, and of seeking and obtaining safety and happiness”) and Section 6. Right to bear arms.

Author of Peace

Signed in 1848, the Treaty begins with these words: IN THE NAME OF ALMIGHTY GOD

Alas, it’s primary purpose was to end the Mexican–American War:
“The… United States… and the… Mexican Republic… have, under the protection of Almighty God, the author of peace, arranged, agreed upon, and signed the following: Treaty of Peace, Friendship, Limits, and Settlement between the United States of America and the Mexican Republic.”

 

New Mexico State Seal

 

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Seal of Utah
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Utah : Statehood and a Stipulation

On this day in 1896, the Territory of Utah becomes the 45th state in the Union. President Grover Cleveland proclaimed that it be “admitted into the Union on an equal footing with the original States.”

“Provided…”

Statehood, however, came with a stipulation. According to the Enabling Act of 1894, the first provision of the proposal was “That polygamous or plural marriages are forever prohibited.”
In fact, the issue of polygamy delayed Utah statehood for about four decades.

Here is the Preamble of the Utah Constitution:

“Grateful to Almighty God for life and liberty, we, the people of Utah, in order to secure and perpetuate the principles of free government, do ordain and establish this Constitution.”

Finally, the two American flags in the State Seal symbolically demontrated loyalty to the Union.

 

Seal of Utah

 

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Flag of Alaska
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State of Alaska : Great Land, Grateful People

On this day in 1959, the territory of Alaska becomes the State of Alaska, the 49th state in the Union. At nearly twice the size of Texas, it’s also the largest.

The name Alaska come from the Aleut word alyeska, which means “great land.”

Back in 1867, Secretary of State William Seward negotiated the purchase of Alaska from Russia for $7.2 million. Then, on October 18th of that year, Russia formally transferred possession to the United States.

Nearly one hundred years later, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed “Proclamation 3269—Admission of the State of Alaska Into the Union.”

“DONE at the City of Washington at one minute past noon on this third day of January in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and fifty-nine, and of the Independence of the United States of America the one hundred and eighty-third.”

Our Heritage of Liberty

Finally, here is the Preamble of the Constitution of the State of Alaska:

“We the people of Alaska, grateful to God and to those who founded our nation and pioneered this great land, in order to secure and transmit to succeeding generations our heritage of political, civil, and religious liberty within the Union of States, do ordain and establish this constitution for the State of Alaska.”

As depicted on the state flag, the stars of the “Big Dipper” can be used to locate Polaris and determine true north. Finding true north is essential for staying on course, as is rediscovering Our Lost Founding.

Flag of the State of Alaska

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