Coat of Arms of the City of Albany

In 1784, during a tour of the state's harbors, waterways, and fertile interior, George Washington referred to New York as the "Seat of the Empire." Since then, New Yorkers have worked ambitiously to live up to the state's motto and to make "The Empire State" the national leader it is today. "Assiduity," the state motto, means "sticking to the business at hand."