New Mexico – South Carolina – US States Number 31 Through 40

New Mexico – South Carolina

We have traveled a lot throughout the US and have actually been to 41 of the 50 States. Thus I decided to share some information about each state as well as the state road sign. If we didn’t get to a state sign yet (or forgot to get one while we were there), I have posted another picture of a state sign and will replace it once we have pictures. In the meantime, please enjoy the information on the states from New Mexico – South Carolina.  FYI, these are in alphabetical order.

State of New Mexico

The yellow field and red symbol colors are the colors of Spain. First brought to New Mexico by Spanish explorers in 1540. On New Mexico’s flag, we see a red sun with rays stretching out from it. There are four groups of rays with four rays in each group. This is an ancient sun symbol of a Native American people called the Zia. The Zia believed that the giver of all good gave them gifts in groups of four. These gifts are: The four directions – north, east, south, and west. The four seasons – spring, summer, fall, and winter. The day – sunrise, noon, evening, and night. Life itself – childhood, youth, middle years, and old age. All of these are bound by a circle of life and love, without a beginning or end.

New Mexico was the 47th state to join the union.
It was settled in 1610 and entered the union on Jan. 6, 1912.
The state capitol is in Santa Fe.

Their nickname is: The Land of Enchantment
Their motto is: It grows as it goes
Origin of state’s name: Named by the Spanish for lands north of the Rio Grande River

State of New York

Emblazoned on a dark blue field is the state coat of arms. The goddess Liberty holds a pole with a Liberty Cap on top. Liberty stands for freedom. At her feet is a discarded crown, representing freedom from England at the end of the revolutionary war. On the right is the goddess, Justice. She wears a blindfold and carries the scales of justice. Meaning that everyone receives equal treatment under the law. The state motto “Excelsior” on a white ribbon expresses the idea of reaching upward to higher goals. On the shield a sun rises over the Hudson highlands and ships sail the Hudson River. Above the shield is an eagle resting on a globe representing the Western Hemisphere.

New Mexico was the 11th state to join the union.
It was settled in 1624 and entered the union on July 26, 1788.
The state capitol is in Albany.

Their nickname is: The Empire State
Their motto is: Excelsior, Latin for “Ever Upward”
Origin of state’s name: Named after England’s Duke of York

State of North Carolina

The flag of North Carolina shall consist of a blue union, containing in the center thereof a white star with the letter N in gilt on the left and the letter C in gilt on the right of said star, the circle containing the same to be one-third the width of the union. The fly of the flag shall consist of two equally proportioned bars; the upper bar to be red, the lower bar to be white; that the length of the bars horizontally shall be equal to the perpendicular length of the union, and the total length of the flag shall be one-third more than its width. That above the star in the center of the union there shall be a gilt scroll in semi-circular form, containing in black letters this inscription “May 20th, 1775”, and that below the star there shall be a similar scroll containing in black letters the inscription:
“April 12th, 1776”.

North Carolina was the 12th state to join the union.
It was settled in 1660 and entered the union on Nov. 21, 1789.
The state capitol is in Raleigh

Their nickname is: Old North State / Tar Heel State
Their motto is: To be, rather than to seem
Origin of state’s name: Taken from “Carolus,” the Latin word for Charles and named after England’s King Charles I

State of North Dakota

North Dakota’s dark blue field displays a bald eagle holding an olive branch and a bundle of arrows in its claws. In its beak, the eagle carries a ribbon with the words “One nation made up of many states”. The shield on its breast has thirteen stars, representing the original thirteen states. The fan-shaped design above the eagle represents the birth of a new nation, the United States. The name “North Dakota” appears on a red scroll below the eagle.

North Dakota was the 40th state to join the union.
It was settled in 1812 and entered the union on Nov. 2, 1889.
The state capitol is in Bismarck.

Their nickname is: Peace Garden State / Flickertail State / Roughrider State
Their motto is: Liberty and union, now and forever, one and inseparable
Origin of state’s name: Based on the Sioux Indian word dakhota meaning “friend”

State of Ohio

Ohio’s state flag was adopted in 1902. The Ohio burgee, as the swallowtail design is properly called, was designed by John Eisemann. The large blue triangle represents Ohio’s hills and valleys, and the stripes represent roads and waterways. The 13 stars grouped about the circle represent the original states of the union; the 4 stars added to the peak of the triangle symbolize that Ohio was the 17th state admitted to the union. The white circle with its red center not only represents the “O” in Ohio, but also suggests Ohio’s famous nickname, “The Buckeye State”.

Ohio was the 17th state to join the union.
It was settled in 1788 and entered the union on March 1, 1803.
The state capitol is in Columbus.

Their nickname is: The Buckeye State
Their motto is: With God All Things Are Possible
Origin of state’s name: From the Iroquois Indian word for “good river”

State of Oklahoma

The Oklahoma state flag honors more than 60 groups of Native Americans and their ancestors. The blue field comes from a flag carried by Choctaw soldiers during the civil war. The center shield is the battle shield of an Osage warrior. It is made of buffalo hide and decorated with eagle feathers. Two symbols of peace lie across the shield. One is the calumet, or peace pipe. The other is an olive branch. Crosses on the shield are Native American signs for stars, representing high ideals

Oklahoma was the 46th state to join the union.
It was settled in 1889 and entered the union on Nov. 16, 1907.
The state capitol is in Oklahoma City.

Their nickname is: The Sooner State
Their motto is: Labor conquers all things
Origin of state’s name: Based on Choctaw Indian words for “redman”

State of Oregon

The flag of the state of Oregon is a two-sided flag in navy blue and gold with an optional gold fringe. On the front is the escutcheon from the state seal and on the reverse is a gold figure of a beaver, the state animal. Oregon is currently the only U.S. state to have a two-sided flag

Oregon was the 33rd state to join the union.
It was settled in 1811 and entered the union on Feb. 14, 1859.
The state capitol is in Salem.

Their nickname is: The Beaver State
Their motto is: She Flies With Her Own Wings
Origin of state’s name: Origin and meaning of name unknown, may have been derived from that of the Wisconsin River
shown on a 1715 French map as “Ouaricon-sint.”

State of Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania’s State Flag is composed of a blue field on which is embroidered the State Coat of Arms. The first State Flag bearing the State Coat of Arms was authorized by the General Assembly in 1799. An act of the General Assembly of June 13, 1907, standardized the flag and required that the blue field match the blue of Old Glory.

Pennsylvania was the 2nd state to join the union.
It was settled in 1682 and entered the union on Dec. 12, 1787.
The state capitol is in Harrisburg.

Their nickname is: The Keystone State
Their motto is: Virtue, Liberty, and Independence
Origin of state’s name: Named in honor of Admiral William Penn, father of the state’s founder, William Penn

State of Rhode Island

Placed on a white field is a circle of thirteen gold stars representing the first thirteen states. The stars surround a gold ship’s anchor. The state’s motto “Hope” is on a blue ribbon below the anchor.

Rhode Island was the 13th state to join the union.
It was settled in 1636 and entered the union on May 29, 1790.
The state capitol is in Providence.

Their nickname is: The Ocean State
Their motto is: Hope
Origin of state’s name: Possibly named in honor of the Greek Island of Rhodes or was named Roode Eylandt by Adriaen Block, Dutch explorer, because of its red clay

State of South Carolina

Asked by the Revolutionary Council of Safety in the fall of 1775 to design a flag for the use of South Carolina troops, Col. William Moultrie chose a blue that matched the color of their uniforms and a crescent that reproduced the silver emblem worn on the front of their caps. The palmetto tree was added later to represent Moultrie’s heroic defense of the palmetto-log fort on Sullivan’s Island against the attack of the British fleet on June 28, 1776

South Carolina was the 8th state to join the union.
It was settled in 1670 and entered the union on May 23, 1788.
The state capitol is in Columbia.

Their nickname is: The Palmetto State
Their motto is: Animis Opibusque Parati,” which is Latin for “Prepared in Mind and Resources.”
Origin of state’s name: Taken from Carolus, the Latin word for Charles, and named after England’s King Charles I

New Mexico – South Carolina are US states 31-40 in alphabetical order. I hope you have enjoyed learning a little about each of these states. If you have enjoyed these, make sure to check out my list for the states:

Alabama – Georgia
Hawaii – Maryland
Massachusetts-New Jersey
South Dakota – Wyoming

Please feel free to leave any comments, questions, suggestions, etc below. I would love to hear what you think.