Semper Fi – The tale of Marine Corps mottos throughout history

The official motto of the United States Marine Corps is “Semper Fidelis,” which is Latin for “Always Faithful.” Any Marine knows that and many have it tattooed across their body. The motto means that Marines are faithful to their country and their Corps. It’s synonymous with the Marine Corps, and always has been, right?

Well, not quite. The Marine Corps adopted “Semper Fidelis” as its official motto in 1883. Historians will note that the Marine Corps has been around in one form or another since 1775.

The Corps adopted several mottos before “Semper Fidelis;” and as the branch celebrates its 250th anniversary, we’ll take a moment to appreciate a little Marine Corps history.

The continental marines

In 1775, a bunch of hard asses were getting a bit tipsy in a public house called “Tun Tavern.” They were most certainly complaining about the British and King George. Taxes on tea were too high, but taxes on muskets were plenty low.

As they drank and complained, someone must’ve said, “We should form a fighting force, the greatest fighting force in fact. A fighting force that can be America’s favorite branch. We’ll get on boats and take the fight to the enemy!”

They all agreed, and thus signed up and created the Continental Marine Corps. This was an idea so grand that they didn’t regret it the next morning when they sobered up. From this humble, slightly inebriated beginning, the Marines have gone on to forge a legacy of unparalleled courage, discipline, and efficiency.

You can’t have a Marine Corps without a motto, but unfortunately the boys were busy kicking King George back to Britain and didn’t have one for 30 years, long after they became the United States Marine Corps.

To the Shores of Tripoli

As we dig into the history of Marine Corps mottos, it’s important to understand that one motto didn’t replace another, rather, they would often serve together, and one may fade away to favor another.

The first time the Marine Corps had anything close to a motto was the term, “To the Shores of Tripoli.” This phrase celebrated the Marine Corps’ victory over the Barbary Pirates during the Battle of Derna which also marked the first foreign conflict of the United States.

There, Lt. Presley O’Bannon received a Mameluke sword from the Ottoman Empire viceroy. The Mameluke sword became a part of Marine officers’ uniforms, and “To The Shores of Tripoli” would become a part of the Corps’ hymn.

Fortitudine

During the War of 1812 the Marine Corps began using the slogan “Fortitudine” which is Latin for “With Fortitude” or “With Courage.”

The motto showed up on the brass plate of the Marine shako hat that Marines wore during the Federalist period.

The Marine Corps fought extensively in naval battles during the War of 1812, but also on land during the Battle of New Orleans and the Battle of Bladensburg. They thus began to cement their legacy as warfighters on both sea and land.

Related: A history of women in the Marine Corps

Per Mare, Per Terram

The third motto used by the Marine Corps would be “Per Mare, Per Terram,” which translated to “By Sea and by Land” and reflected the branch’s tenacity on naval ships and on land. (Under Colonel Archibald Henderson the Marine Corps had participated in the Seminole War and expanded the degree it fought on land.)

The Marine Corps began using this motto on recruitment literature in the mid 1800s; and it was borrowed from the British Marine Corps who had long used it.

From the Halls of Montezuma

To be completely fair, the third and fourth mottos of the Marine Corps could interchange. In 1848 the Marine Corps took a classic motto and revamped it.

After the Mexican-American War and the Corps’ capture of Mexico City the branch added “From the Halls of Montezuma to the Shores of Tripoli” to its mottos. Any Marine will also recognize this as the first line of the Marine Corps hymn.

So why “Semper Fi?”

“Semper Fidelis” replaced all mottos and became the only official Marine Corps motto in 1883. Sadly, we don’t know exactly why it was chosen, although we do know that Colonel Charles G. McCawley, who was the Commandant of the Marine Corps, chose it.

McCawley was a veteran of the Mexican-American War and the Civil War. He was crucial in modernizing the Marine Corps and made sweeping changes, famously raising training standards and securing a quota of officers from the Naval Academy. He was a clever man who embraced modern inventions, like the telephone and typewriter.

“Semper Fidelis” represented a new version of the Marine Corps: a better trained, better equipped, and uniform fighting force. Semper Fidelis describes the Marine Corps appropriately and Marines all agree it’s a pretty good motto to have.

Happy 250th Birthday, Marines. Semper Fi.

Feature Image: U.S. Marines with I Marine Expeditionary Force present the ceremonial birthday cake during I MEF’s 250th Marine Corps Birthday Ball at Harrah’s Resort Southern California in Valley Center, California, Nov. 1, 2025. Founded on Nov. 10, 1775, the United States Marine Corps has served our nation honorably in every clime and place for 250 years. Throughout 2025, Marines across the globe will celebrate the 250th birthday of the Corps, commemorating service, sacrifice, and priding themselves on living “Semper Fidelis” or “Always Faithful” to their nation and to each other. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Nan Yang)

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