Seal of Mississippi
| Great Seal of the State of Mississippi | |
|---|---|
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| Details | |
| Armiger | State of Mississippi |
| Adopted | July 1, 2014[1][2] |
| Escutcheon | Palewise of eleven pieces Argent and Gules, on a Chief Azure, eleven Mullets Argent |
| Supporters | An Eagle displayed Or |
| Earlier versions |
|
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The Great Seal of the State of Mississippi was adopted in 2014, replacing the previous version that was used since the 19th century.
Design
The eagle is positioned in the center of the seal, with its wings spread wide and its head held high. Stars and stripes adorn its chest. In its talons, the eagle grasps an olive branch symbolizing a desire for peace and a quiver of arrows representing the power to wage war. The outer circle of the seal contains the text "The Great Seal of the State of Mississippi" at the top and the words "In God We Trust" at the bottom.[1][2]
History
The first Mississippian governmental seal was adopted on January 19, 1798,[1] when Mississippi was a territory of the United States under the name of the Mississippi Territory.
After it became a state in 1817, the same seal was designated as the state's seal the following year. In July 2014, Mississippi adopted a new seal, which is still in use today.[1][2]
On January 31, 2014, claiming to defend religious freedom, the Mississippi senate voted to add the words, "In God We Trust" to the state seal and the change was made effective on July 1, 2014.[1][3]
Government seals of Mississippi
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State seal in black and white.
Seal of the Secretary of State of Mississippi
Seal of the Judiciary of Mississippi
Seal of the Mississippi Department of Transportation
Seal of the Mississippi National Guard
The former seal of Mississippi on display at the Lafayette County Courtroom in Oxford, Mississippi.
See also
- Coats of arms of the U.S. states
- List of Mississippi state symbols
- Coat of arms of Mississippi
- Seals of the U.S. states
- Flag of Mississippi
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 Mississippi Legislature (January 2014). "Mississippi Religious Freedom Restoration Act; enact and modify the great seal." (PDF). Senate Bill No. 2681. Mississippi: State of Mississippi. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 2, 2014. Retrieved April 2, 2014.
- 1 2 3 State of Mississippi (July 1, 2014). "3: State Boundaries, Holidays, and State Emblems". § 3-3-42. The Great Seal of the State of Mississippi. Mississippi Code of 1972. 3: State Sovereignty, Jurisdiction, and Holidays. Mississippi: State of Mississippi. Retrieved February 12, 2015.
It shall be the duty of the Secretary of State to procure the official seal of this state as described in this section. The center of the seal shall have an eagle displayed proper, holding an olive branch in his dexter talon and a bundle of three (3) arrows in his sinister talon. The shield on the breast of the eagle shall have eleven (11) vertical stripes of alternating white and red, supporting a chief of blue with eleven (11) white five-pointed stars in two (2) rows with five (5) stars in each row and one (1) star centered over the third column. The margins dexter and sinister of the center point of the shield shall each have one (1) white five-pointed star. The margin over the eagle shall have the inscription 'THE GREAT SEAL OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI.' The margin under the eagle shall have the inscription 'IN GOD WE TRUST.' The official seal need not be printed or otherwise displayed in color.
- ↑ Wagster Pettus, Emily (31 January 2014). "Miss. Senate OKs adding 'In God We Trust' to seal". WorldNow and WLBT. Archived from the original on February 1, 2014. Retrieved 1 February 2014.
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