Texas is loud. If you’ve ever spent five minutes in a Dallas BBQ joint or watched a Longhorns game, you know the vibe is usually "bigger, better, faster, stronger." People expect the state motto to be something aggressive. Something about liberty or death. Maybe something about not treading on anyone. But honestly? The official state of texas motto is just one word: "Friendship."
It’s almost jarring.
In a land of rugged individualism and "Come and Take It" flags, the official word on the street—and in the law books—is essentially a warm hug. It’s been that way since 1930. But the story of how a single word became the literal brand of the Lone Star State isn't just about being nice. It’s rooted in a massive linguistic misunderstanding that dates back centuries before Texas was even a state.
Where the Name Comes From (And Why it Matters)
You can't talk about the state of texas motto without talking about the word "Texas" itself. It isn't Spanish. It isn't English. It’s a Spanish transliteration of a Caddo Indian word, taysha.
Back in the 1500s and 1600s, when Spanish explorers were trekking through the piney woods of East Texas, they encountered the Hasinai Confederacy. These were Caddo-speaking people. When the Caddo met the Spaniards, they didn't call themselves "Texans." They used the word taysha to describe allies or friends. They were basically saying, "Hey, we're on the same team."
The Spanish wrote it down as Tejas. Eventually, that morphed into Texas.
So, when the 41st Texas Legislature sat down in 1930 to pick an official motto, they weren't just pulling a sentiment out of thin air. They were trying to honor the literal etymology of the state's name. They wanted to connect the modern government to the indigenous roots of the land. It was a rare moment of historical mindfulness in a decade otherwise defined by the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl.
The 1930 Legislation
The 41st Legislature was busy. They were dealing with crazy stuff—prison reform, highway funding, and the fallout of the stock market crash. Yet, they found time to pass House Concurrent Resolution No. 22.
It’s a short document. It basically says that since the word Texas means friendship, the motto should be "Friendship." That’s it. No flowery prose. No three-page justification. Just a direct link between the name and the vibe.
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But here is the thing: "Friendship" isn't just a suggestion in Texas. Because it is codified in the Texas Government Code, it shows up in weird places. It’s on the flip side of the Texas State Seal. It’s taught to every elementary school kid in the state alongside the Texas pledge. It’s a foundational piece of the state's identity that most people—even locals—sometimes forget is actually the law.
Why "Friendship" Feels Different in the South
If you look at other state mottos, they’re usually pretty intense.
- Virginia: "Thus always to tyrants." (Hardcore).
- New Hampshire: "Live Free or Die." (Extremely hardcore).
- Texas: "Friendship." (Wait, what?)
There is a weird juxtaposition here. Texas has a reputation for being a bit prickly about its autonomy. The state has its own power grid. It has a "right to secede" myth that never seems to die (even though it's legally debunked). Yet, the governing principle is friendliness.
This creates a specific type of social culture. In Texas, you wave at people on FM roads. You say "sir" and "ma'am" not necessarily out of subservience, but as a social lubricant. The state of texas motto reflects this "Texan Hospitality" brand that the tourism board spends millions of dollars promoting every year. It’s the idea that even if we disagree on everything else, we can sit on a porch and drink a Shiner together.
The Conflict Between the Motto and the Image
Sometimes, the motto feels like a lie.
If you look at the political climate of the last decade, "Friendship" doesn't exactly describe the discourse in Austin. Whether it’s border policy, voting rights, or education, the "friendship" vibe can feel pretty thin. Critics often point out that while the state claims friendship as its core value, its history includes periods of intense exclusion and violence against the very people (the Caddo and other indigenous groups) who gave the state its name.
There is a tension there.
Acknowledging that the state of texas motto comes from an indigenous word while the state simultaneously pushed those indigenous groups out of its borders is a necessary part of understanding Texas. It’s a complicated, messy history. The motto is an ideal. It’s something the state strives for—or claims to strive for—even when the reality on the ground is more about competition and conflict.
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It’s Also on the License Plates (Sort of)
For a long time, the phrase "The Friendship State" was a contender for the primary nickname, but "The Lone Star State" obviously won that battle. However, the spirit of the motto stayed. You’ll see "Friendship" stamped onto various official documents and commemorative coins.
If you go to the Texas State Capitol in Austin, look at the floor. The seals, the architecture, the brass—it’s all there. The word is baked into the limestone.
The Practical Side of Texan Friendliness
Does having a motto actually change anything? Maybe.
Psychologically, when a state brands itself around a concept like friendship, it sets a standard for public behavior. It shows up in the "Texas Friendly" signs at the border. It shows up in the way the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) communicates. It’s a soft-power tool.
If you’re moving to Texas, you’ll notice this quickly. People talk to you in line at H-E-B. They ask how your mom is doing even if they’ve never met her. It’s a performative friendliness that eventually becomes real because everyone is participating in the same cultural script. The state of texas motto is the script's title.
What You Should Actually Do With This Information
Knowing the motto is one thing; living in the state is another. If you want to actually tap into the "Friendship" vibe of Texas, there are a few things that actually matter more than a trivia fact.
First, understand the "Texas Wave." If you're driving on a two-lane road in the Hill Country and a truck passes you, you lift two fingers off the steering wheel. That’s friendship in action. You don't have to know the person. You just have to acknowledge their existence.
Second, respect the history. The fact that the state of texas motto comes from the Caddo people is a reminder that Texas has layers. If you're in East Texas, visit the Caddo Mounds State Historic Site. It puts the motto into a physical context that a textbook can't match. Seeing the land where the word taysha was first spoken changes how you view the "Friendship" sign at the border.
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Third, use it as a bridge. In a time when everyone is polarized, the motto is a useful reminder. It’s the one thing all Texans—regardless of their politics—technically agreed upon back in 1930. It’s a common ground.
Digging Deeper into the Archives
If you’re a real history nerd, you can look up the original legislative journals from the 41st session. You’ll see that the choice wasn't even controversial. It passed easily. Compared to the debates they were having about oil rights and taxes, "Friendship" was the easiest "yes" of the year.
The state of texas motto remains a singular, powerful word. It doesn't need a bunch of Latin or a complex translation. It’s simple. It’s a reminder that at the end of the day, the state started as a collection of people who decided to be allies.
Maintaining that allyship is the hard part.
Next Steps for the Texas-Bound:
- Visit the Texas State Library and Archives in Austin to see the original 1930 resolution if you're a document buff.
- Check out the Caddo Mounds State Historic Site in Alto to understand the linguistic birth of the word "Texas."
- Observe the social "rules" of your specific Texas region. Friendliness in El Paso looks different than friendliness in Houston, but the underlying motto remains the same legal constant.
Texas is a massive, contradictory, beautiful mess of a state. But at its core, it’s a place that decided, by law, to be a friend. Whether it succeeds at that is up to the people living there, but the goal is at least written down for everyone to see.
Actionable Insight: The next time you see the Texas State Seal, look for the wreath of olive and oak branches. The olive branch signifies peace, and the oak signifies strength. Together, they frame the sentiment of the state of texas motto, reminding us that friendship requires both the will to be peaceful and the strength to maintain it.