Why is New Jerseys state motto Liberty and Prosperity?
In August of 1776, the NJ Legislature sitting in Princeton appointed a joint committee of both houses to create a “great seal” for the state. By October of 1776, that committee had agreed that the seal should include a depiction of the Goddess of Liberty standing next to the Roman Goddess Ceres, who held the cornucopia symbolizing a bountiful harvest. I believe that NJ’s state motto was inspired by that depiction.
