State mottoes may be said to reflect the character and beliefs of the citizens of the state, or more accurately, the citizens of the state when they were adopted. State mottoes can help us gain insight into the history of a state.
Congress passed what became known at the Selective Training and Service Act of 1940 on September 6, 1940, instituting the first peacetime conscription in United States history.
President Franklin Roosevelt signed the Selective Training and Service Act of 1940 which created the country's first peacetime draft and formally established the Selective Service System as an independent Federal agency. Even before this, our country has a long history of drafting citizens to serve in the armed forces.