Wyoming Motto
Equal Rights
While Wyoming does not have an official state motto, “Equal Rights” is the motto accepted as an element of its official seal.
The phrase pays homage to the state’s history and nickname, “The Equality State.” Wyoming is renowned for being the first state to grant women the right to vote in 1869. Granting women the right to vote ensured that there would be enough voting citizens to meet the population requirement for statehood.
Both Wyoming’s state seal and state flag feature the motto. The Great Seal of the State of Wyoming was initially adopted by the second legislature in 1893; it was later revised by the sixteenth legislature in 1921. The seal features two dates: 1869 and 1890 which commemorate the organization of the Territorial government and Wyoming’s admission to the Union. A draped figure is depicted in the center, holding a staff bearing a banner with the words “Equal Rights” emblazoned upon it, to symbolize the political status women have enjoyed in Wyoming.