Article Discussion

Abraham Lincoln helped West Virginia secede from Virginia, the major slave state that had seceded from the Union, to become a free state. The motto Joseph Debar chose to put on the Great Seal was Montani Semper Liberi, Mountaineers Are Always Free. Debar was also an active supporter for West Virginia statehood. Other citations link the motto to an old Swiss saying but without any mention of the slavery issue. Is there any documentation on Debar’s reasoning behind the motto? I would appreciate your clarification. Thank you.

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