The Great Seal of the
State of Mississippi was adopted in 2014, replacing a 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
"In God We Trust" (also rendered as "In God we trust") is the United States national motto, official motto of the United States and of the U.S. state of Florida. It was adopted by the U.S. Congress in 1956, replacing ("Out of many, one"), whic ...
" at the bottom.
[
]
History
The first Mississippian governmental seal was adopted on January 19, 1798,[ when it was organized under the name of the ]Mississippi Territory
The Territory of Mississippi was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from April 7, 1798, until December 10, 1817, when the western half of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Mississippi. T ...
.
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.[
On January 31, 2014, purportedly to defend ]religious freedom
Freedom of religion or religious liberty is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or community, in public or private, to manifest religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship, and observance. It also includes the freedom ...
, Mississippi's state senate voted to add the words, "In God We Trust" to the state seal and the change was unilaterally made effective on July 1, 2014.Mississippi Territory
The Territory of Mississippi was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from April 7, 1798, until December 10, 1817, when the western half of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Mississippi. T ...
(1798-1817)
File:Seal of Mississippi (1818–1879).png, Seal of Mississippi (1818–1879)
File:Seal of Mississippi (1818-2014).svg, Seal of Mississippi (1879–2014)
Government seals of Mississippi
Seal of Mississippi (B&W).svg, State seal in black and white.
Seal of the Secretary of State of Mississippi.jpg, Seal of the Secretary of State of Mississippi
The Mississippi Secretary of State is an officer of Mississippi originally established under the Article IV, §14 of Mississippi Constitution of 1817, and was reestablished under Article V, §133 of the Mississippi Constitution of 1890.
Several ...
Seal of the Judiciary of Mississippi.svg, Seal of the Judiciary of Mississippi
Seal of the Mississippi Department of Transportation.svg, Seal of the Mississippi Department of Transportation
The Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) is the organization in charge of developing and maintaining all state and federal roadways in the U.S. state of Mississippi. In addition to highways, the department also has a limited role in sup ...
Mississippi National Guard logo (July 2020).png, Former logo of the Mississippi National Guard
The Mississippi National Guard (MSNG), commonly known as the Mississippi Guard, is both a Mississippi state and a federal government organization, part of the United States National Guard. It is part of the Mississippi Military Department, a stat ...
in use between 1 July 2020 and 9 November 2020
Mississippi National Guard logo.png, Former logo of the Mississippi National Guard
The Mississippi National Guard (MSNG), commonly known as the Mississippi Guard, is both a Mississippi state and a federal government organization, part of the United States National Guard. It is part of the Mississippi Military Department, a stat ...
used until 30 June 2020
FullSizeRender-5.jpg, The former seal of Mississippi on display at the Lafayette County Courtroom in Oxford, Mississippi.
See also
*List of Mississippi state symbols
The following is a list of state symbols of the U.S. state of Mississippi, as defined by state statutes in Title 1, Section 3 of the Mississippi Code of 1972 and listed in the ''Mississippi Official & Statistical Register''.
Insignia
Flora
F ...
* Coat of arms of Mississippi
*Flag of Mississippi
The flag of Mississippi, also known as the Mississippi flag, consists of a white magnolia blossom surrounded by 21 white stars and the words 'In God We Trust' written below, all put over a blue Canadian pale with two vertical gold borders on a ...
References
External links
*
{{Mississippi
Symbols of Mississippi
United States state seals
Coats of arms with eagles
Coats of arms with stars
Coats of arms with arrows
Coats of arms with olive branches
Religion in the United States