The Great Seal of the State of South Carolina was adopted in 1776.

South Carolina )'' Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...

's seal is made up of two elliptical areas, linked by branches of the palmetto tree. The image on the left is dominated by a tall palmetto tree and an oak tree, fallen and broken. This scene represents the battle fought on June 28, 1776, between defenders of the unfinished fort on Sullivan's Island, and the British Fleet. The standing palmetto represents the victorious defenders, and the fallen oak is the British Fleet. Banded together on the palmetto with the motto '' Quis separabit?'' ('Who will separate s'), are 12 spears that represent the other original 12 states of the Union. Beneath that is enscrolled another of the alternate state mottoes, "Meliorem Lapsa Locavit" ("Having Fallen, She Has Set Up a Better One") with the date of 1776. Surrounding the image, at the top, is "South Carolina", and below, is ''Animis opibusque parati'' ('Prepared in mind and resources'). The other image on the seal depicts the Roman goddess

Spes In ancient Roman religion, Spes (pronounced ) was the goddess of hope. Multiple temples to Spes are known, and inscriptions indicate that she received private devotion as well as state cult. Republican Hope During the Republic, a temple to "anc ...

walking along a shore that is littered with weapons. The goddess grasps a branch of laurel as the sun rises behind her. Below her image is her name, ''Spes'', Latin for 'hope', and over the image is the motto ''

Dum spiro spero ''Dum spiro spero'', which translates to "While I breathe, I hope", is a Latin phrase of indeterminate origin. It is the motto of various places and organisations, including the U.S. state of South Carolina. Derivation The sense of ''dum spir ...

'', meaning 'While I breathe, I hope'. The full achievement of the state, adopted soon after the seal, consists of the arms above, along with a personification of

Liberty Liberty is the ability to do as one pleases, or a right or immunity enjoyed by prescription or by grant (i.e. privilege). It is a synonym for the word freedom. In modern politics, liberty is understood as the state of being free within society fr ...

holding a Phrygian cap and a

laurel wreath A laurel wreath is a round wreath made of connected branches and leaves of the bay laurel (), an aromatic broadleaf evergreen, or later from spineless butcher's broom (''Ruscus hypoglossum'') or cherry laurel (''Prunus laurocerasus''). It is a s ...

on the left, as well as a Continental soldier on the right, as supporters. Above the shield, a personification of Fame goes from Liberty to the soldier. The Great Seal of South Carolina was "set" or "affixed" to the Ordinance of Secession of December 20, 1860, at Secession Hall in Charleston shortly after 7:00 p.m., following which convention delegates signed it, including

Robert Barnwell Rhett Robert Barnwell Rhett (born Robert Barnwell Smith; December 21, 1800September 14, 1876) was an American politician who served as a deputy from South Carolina to the Provisional Confederate States Congress from 1861 to 1862, a member of the US H ...

, as some three thousand South Carolinians watched enthusiastically the proclamation of South Carolina as "a separate, independent nationality."''Charleston Mercury'', December 21, 1860, reproduced in ''The Anderson Intelligencer'', January 3, 1861, p. 2. The ''Mercury'' declared that by this act South Carolina had "recorded herself before the universe. In reverence before God, fearless of man, unawed by power, unterrified by clamor, she has cut the Gordian know of colonial dependence upon the North -- cast her fortune upon her right, and her own right arm, and stands ready to uphold alike her independence and her dignity before the world. Prescribing to none, she will be dictated to by none; willing for peace, she is ready for war. Deprecating blood, she is willing to shed it. Valuing her liberties, she will maintain them. Neither swerved by frowns of foes, nor swayed by timorous solicitations of friends, she will pursue her direct path, and establish for herself and for her posterity, her rights, her liberties and her institutions. Though friends may fail her in her need, though the cannon of her enemies may belch destruction among her people, South Carolina, unawed, unconquerable, will still hold aloft her flag."

Government seals of South Carolina

File:Seal of the Governor of South Carolina.png,

Seal Seal may refer to any of the following: Common uses * Pinniped, a diverse group of semi-aquatic marine mammals, many of which are commonly called seals, particularly: ** Earless seal, or "true seal" ** Fur seal * Seal (emblem), a device to imp ...

of the Governor of South Carolina File:Seal of the Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina.svg,

of the Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina File:Seal of the Senate of South Carolina.jpg, Seal of the South Carolina Senate File:Seal of the House of Representatives of South Carolina.jpg, Seal of the

South Carolina House of Representatives The South Carolina House of Representatives is the lower house of the South Carolina General Assembly. It consists of 124 representatives elected to two-year terms at the same time as U.S. congressional elections. Unlike many legislatures, seati ...

File:Seal of the South Carolina Department of Education.jpg, Seal of the

South Carolina Department of Education The South Carolina Department of Education is the state education agency of South Carolina. It is headquartered in Columbia at the Rutledge Building. The agency is overseen by an elected Superintendent of Education, currently Ellen Weaver. Pre ...

File:SC Dept. of Natural Resources - agency logo.jpg, Seal of the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources File:South Carolina National Guard logo.PNG, Seal of the

South Carolina National Guard The South Carolina National Guard consists of the South Carolina Army National Guard and the South Carolina Air National Guardbr> American law specifically charges the National Guard with dual federal and state missions. In fact, the National Guar ...

File:Seal of South Carolina (Alternative).svg, Alternative color scheme for the State Seal

References

External links

The Great Seal of the State of South Carolina
{{DEFAULTSORT:Seal Of South Carolina Symbols of South Carolina

1776 establishments in South Carolina

Government seals of South Carolina

See also

References

External links