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The official coat of arms for the state of Alabama was adopted by both houses of Legislature without one dissenting vote in 1939. Alabama's coat of arms displays a shield with the emblems of five governments that have held sovereignty over the state. The flags of Spain, France, Great Britain, and the Confederacy sit behind the emblem for the United States.
The shield is supported by bald eagles on either side (symbols of courage). The crest of the shield represents the Baldine (the ship sailed by Iberville and Bienville from France in 1699 to settle a colony near present-day Mobile).
The state motto appears beneath the shield: "Audemus jura nostra defendere" (Latin for We Dare Defend our Rights). Below the motto is the state name. Many state flags and state seals display a coat of arms.
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