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What is the origin of Colorado's state motto?
Question
#96015. Asked by zbeckabee. (May 24 08 7:31 PM)
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pendergd
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Adoption of the Colorado State Motto
After the United States Congress passed a bill making Colorado a territory in 1861, it was important that a unique seal be designed to represent the territory on all official documents. Colorado's first Territorial Governor, William Gilpin, entrusted the design of the new seal to the Secretary of the Territory, L. C. Weld instructing Weld to return to him with a rough draft.
Governor Gilpin seems to have approved the design that Weld brought to him but thought that a suitable motto should also be incorporated. The story goes that Weld responded to Governor Gilpin, "Well, Governor, what would you suggest?"
Governor Gilpin is said to have paused in thought for a moment and then responded "Nil Sine Numine."
On November 6, 1861, by Joint Resolution, the First Territorial Assembly adopted the Territorial Seal and with it, the motto, Nil Sine Numine. The Territorial Seal was adopted as the Colorado State Seal by the First General Assembly of Colorado on March 15, 1877.
 http://www.netstate.com/states/mottoes/co_motto.htm
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pshelton
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The Colorado State Motto was adopted in 1877 and is "Nil Sine Numine". This translates as "Nothing without the Diety" and it is credited to the first territorial governor William Gilpin. It was adopted as part of the Territorial seal and is from Virgil's Aeneid, Book II.
This motto has also been variously translated as "Nothing without Providence"
See http://www.shgresources.com/co/symbols/motto/
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queproblema
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How far back?
When Colorado became a US territory?
Or all the way back to Virgil?
The motto is in Latin, "Nil Sine Numine," and the translation is controversial. This past year I happened to use state mottos instead of counting to three when starting children on math speed drills, and we went with "Nothing without Providence."
"Colorado's motto, 'Nil Sine Numine,' meaning (Nothing without the Diety,) is drawn from Virgil's Aeneid, Book II, line 777. The Latin reads: ...non haec sine numine devum Eveniunt."
http://www.shgresources.com/co/symbols/motto/
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queproblema
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Good grief!
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zbeckabee
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Indeed!
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