For more than two centuries, the Louisiana State Motto—Union, Justice, Confidence—has appeared on all official state government documents and symbols, including the State Flag and State Seal. These words are prominently displayed across the front of the towering State Capitol building and below the iconic mother Pelican feeding her young. But do these words have historical meaning and is the motto relevant today? Historian Jason Theriot has set out to undercover and document the origins of the state motto. This journey begins with William C. C. Claiborne, Louisiana’s first territorial governor in 1804, and follows his political career through his letters up to and beyond statehood. As a prodigy of Thomas Jefferson, Claiborne believed strongly in the ideals of American republicanism, self-government, and civic virtues. Claiborne understood that government power can only be derived from the consent of the governed; yet codified in that covenant, he believed, was the foundation for building a prosperous society. “You may assure the Citizens [mainly the local “creole inhabitants” of Louisiana] . . . that their liberty, property, and religion will be protected; their Commerce and agriculture promoted, and the Arts and Science in Louisiana particularly cherished,” he wrote in 1804 concerning the American system of government, “which I do not hesitate to say is the best upon Earth.” As the Father of the Pelican State, Claiborne’s ideals and leadership still ring true today.