What is the Alabama state motto?

The Alabama state motto is "Audemus jura nostra defendere," which can be interpreted as "We dare defend our rights." The motto was inspired from a part of a poem called "What Constitutes a State" that was written by Sir William Jones and published in "Familiar Quotations."

The poem that the motto was inspired by contained the following stanza: "Men who their duties know. But know their rights, and knowing, dare maintain." The motto was created in 1923 by Marie Bankhead Owen. The phrase is intended to represent the spirit of Alabama residents in one concise statement. While it was proposed in 1923, it was not until 1939 that it was officially accepted.