"Live Free or Die" is the official motto of the U.S. state of New Hampshire, adopted by the state in 1945.
The phrase comes from a toast written by General John Stark on July 31, 1809. Stark was New Hampshire's most famous soldier of the American Revolutionary War. His poor health forced him to decline an invitation to a reunion of the Battle of Bennington. He sent his toast by letter:
- Live free or die: Death is not the worst of evils.
The motto was enacted at the same time as the state emblem, on which it appears.
"Live free or die" (French: Vivre libre ou mourir) was a famous revolutionary motto used by the Jacobins during the French Revolution, predating the John Stark quote, which was probably a reference meant to invoke Jacobin ethos.