# What's the Providence, RI city motto? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 26, 2003, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-providence-ri-city-motto/151031 "2003-01-26T12:31:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Already\_in\_Use](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a9adbd/32.png) [@Already\_in\_Use](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Already_in_Use)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2003, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-providence-ri-city-motto/151031/1 "2003-01-26T12:31:37Z")
Does it even have one? The question is straightforward enough that I thought a Google search would turn up something, but I’ve found nothing so far. Anyone know? ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2003, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-providence-ri-city-motto/151031/2 "2003-01-26T13:11:01Z")
I searched the official [Providence, RI website](http://www.providenceri.com/home.html), and turned up nothing for a town motto. The fire department has one, that’s all I found. If they had one at one time, it seems to have been lost in the mists of time. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2003, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-providence-ri-city-motto/151031/3 "2003-01-26T13:51:20Z")
“America’s Renaissance City” is repeated at the top of all the site’s pages. But if you Google the phrase, you find it’s claimed by a number of other cities, notably Pittsburgh, Newark, and Baltimore. ---
**Author:** ![Already\_in\_Use](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a9adbd/32.png) [@Already\_in\_Use](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Already_in_Use)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2003, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-providence-ri-city-motto/151031/4 "2003-01-26T14:14:37Z")
I dunno… the whole “America’s Renaissance City” thing seems like more of a temporary slogan to me. What I’m wondering is if there’s anything that’s older and more permanent (but also official). ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2003, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-providence-ri-city-motto/151031/5 "2003-01-26T14:29:19Z")
What, you think they’re using it while the other one’s in the shop? ---
**Author:** ![Persephone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecc23a/32.png) [@Persephone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Persephone)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2003, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-providence-ri-city-motto/151031/6 "2003-01-26T15:56:43Z")
I looked at the Providence website, and saw the city seal. It appears to have something in Latin on it, down at the bottom. However, my Popeil Pocket PC won’t allow me to blow it up to try and decipher it, and my bad eyes just can’t read it. But there is indeed something there. You might also want to ask **Eutychus** for an assist on this. He’s a Rhode Islander. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2003, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-providence-ri-city-motto/151031/7 "2003-01-26T16:11:19Z")
This is a closeup of the [Seal.](http://www.providenceri.com/NarragansettBay/old_city_seal.gif) No latin that I can see. It says “City of Providence. Founded 1636. Incorporated 1832”. ---
**Author:** ![brianmelendez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/65b543/32.png) [@brianmelendez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brianmelendez)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2003, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-providence-ri-city-motto/151031/8 "2003-01-26T16:27:10Z")
The Providence Code of Ordinances, sec. 2-335, describes the seal: “In chief, close to the upper margin of said shield, reading clockwise, shall be the words: WHAT CHEER? Said words and question mark shall be composed of raised capital Roman sans serif letters three thirty-seconds of an inch in height (eight point).” The words are just visible in the seal that Q.E.D. posted. The Code’s next section (2-336) explains, “The blazon or description of figures on the city seal shall represent the historical story of the founding of the City of Providence in 1636. The Indians are standing on slate rock which is on a point of land covered with forest trees on the west bank of the Seekonk River. The Indians are extending friendly greetings, by raising their arms and crying out ‘WHAT CHEER, NETOP?’ to an approaching canoe which contains the early settlers, Roger Williams and his companions. Roger Williams, the founder of the City of Providence, and the State of Rhode Island, stands in the bow of the canoe and acknowledges the greetings of the friendly Indians by raising his right arm.” ---
**Author:** ![Already\_in\_Use](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a9adbd/32.png) [@Already\_in\_Use](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Already_in_Use)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2003, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-providence-ri-city-motto/151031/9 "2003-01-26T17:17:07Z")
That sounds pretty official, **brian**. Thanks a lot, everyone. ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2003, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-providence-ri-city-motto/151031/10 "2003-01-26T18:01:58Z")
What it SHOULD be: “Don’t go around tempting Providence.”