Seal of Connecticut
Encyclopedia
The Great Seal of the State of Connecticut has been the coat of arms of the U.S. state
of Connecticut
since May of 1784. It depicts three grapevines and a ribbon below with the Latin motto: Qui Transtulit Sustinet (English: He who transplanted sustains), with SIGILLUM REIPUBLICÆ CONNECTICUTENSIS (English: Seal of the State of Connecticut) in the border.
and was turned over to the Connecticut Colony at about the time that it purchased the land and fort at Saybrook Point from Colonel Fenwick in 1644. The seal was used by the General Court (General Assembly
) from that time forward, but there is no clear record of who had custody of the seal. On October 9, 1662 the assembly formally declared that the seal would be kept by the Secretary of the Colony and used as the Seal of the Colony on necessary occasions. It remained the colony's seal until October 1687, when Sir Edmund Andros
took control of the colony's government and the seal disappeared.
On October 25, 1711 a meeting of the Governor and Council (upper house of the assembly) resolved, that "a new stamp shall be made and cut of the seal of this Colony, suitable for sealing upon wafers, and that a press be provided with the necessary appurtenances, for that purpose, as soon as may be, at the cost and charge of this Colony, to be kept in the secretary's office". The new, less elaborately decorated seal was larger in size and more oval shaped than the original. The words of the motto remained the same, but the number of grape vines was reduced to three and the legend Sigillum Coloniae Connecticutensis ("Seal of the Connecticut Colony") is added to the edge of the seal. The three vines may have been intended to represent the three colonies: New Haven Colony
, Saybrook Colony
and Connecticut Colony
.
After the conclusion of the Revolutionary War, the inscription on the colonial seal was no longer appropriate. Therefore, in May of 1784 the General Assembly directed the Secretary to alter the inscription to read SIGILL. REIP. CONNECTICUTENSIS. However, when a new version of the seal was prepared, the inscription contained the words spelled out: Sigillum Reipublicae Connecticutensis ("Seal of the State of Connecticut"). There has been no subsequent alteration to the official state seal. In 1931 the General Assembly required that all representations of the state seal conform to the description in chapter 54 of the Public Acts of that year. This legislation also prohibited reproduction of the seal except by or under the direction of the Secretary of the State. It is the only non-circular state seal out of the fifty states, and is joined only by the Seal of Guam
when insular area
s are included.
depicted on a blue ribbon below the grapevines.
The motto has been re-used for the name of Connecticut's SustiNet
program to provide health care to state residents.
. The meaning of the motto was explained on April 23, 1775 in a letter stamped in Wethersfield
, Connecticut: "We fix on our Standards and Drums the Colony arms, with the motto, Qui Transtulit Sustinet, round it in letters of gold, which we construe thus: God, who transplanted us hither, will support us".
However, this explanation for the origin of the motto is questionable. In 1889, State Librarian Charles J. Hoadly published an article, "The Public Seal of Connecticut" that indicated the 80th Psalm as a possible source. The article stated:
, Hartford, and Wethersfield
, as New Haven and Saybrook were reluctant additions to Connecticut.
as it's central motif.
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
since May of 1784. It depicts three grapevines and a ribbon below with the Latin motto: Qui Transtulit Sustinet (English: He who transplanted sustains), with SIGILLUM REIPUBLICÆ CONNECTICUTENSIS (English: Seal of the State of Connecticut) in the border.
History
The first seal of Connecticut was brought from England by Colonel George Fenwick in 1639. It was the seal of the Saybrook ColonySaybrook Colony
The Saybrook Colony was established in late 1635 at the mouth of the Connecticut River in present day Old Saybrook, Connecticut by John Winthrop, the Younger, son of John Winthrop, the Governor of Massachusetts. The former was designated Governor by the original settlers which included Colonel...
and was turned over to the Connecticut Colony at about the time that it purchased the land and fort at Saybrook Point from Colonel Fenwick in 1644. The seal was used by the General Court (General Assembly
Connecticut General Assembly
The Connecticut General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is a bicameral body composed of the 151-member House of Representatives and the 36-member Senate. It meets in the state capital, Hartford. There are no term limits for either chamber.During...
) from that time forward, but there is no clear record of who had custody of the seal. On October 9, 1662 the assembly formally declared that the seal would be kept by the Secretary of the Colony and used as the Seal of the Colony on necessary occasions. It remained the colony's seal until October 1687, when Sir Edmund Andros
Edmund Andros
Sir Edmund Andros was an English colonial administrator in North America. Andros was known most notably for his governorship of the Dominion of New England during most of its three-year existence. He also governed at various times the provinces of New York, East and West Jersey, Virginia, and...
took control of the colony's government and the seal disappeared.
On October 25, 1711 a meeting of the Governor and Council (upper house of the assembly) resolved, that "a new stamp shall be made and cut of the seal of this Colony, suitable for sealing upon wafers, and that a press be provided with the necessary appurtenances, for that purpose, as soon as may be, at the cost and charge of this Colony, to be kept in the secretary's office". The new, less elaborately decorated seal was larger in size and more oval shaped than the original. The words of the motto remained the same, but the number of grape vines was reduced to three and the legend Sigillum Coloniae Connecticutensis ("Seal of the Connecticut Colony") is added to the edge of the seal. The three vines may have been intended to represent the three colonies: New Haven Colony
New Haven Colony
The New Haven Colony was an English colonial venture in present-day Connecticut in North America from 1637 to 1662.- Quinnipiac Colony :A Puritan minister named John Davenport led his flock from exile in the Netherlands back to England and finally to America in the spring of 1637...
, Saybrook Colony
Saybrook Colony
The Saybrook Colony was established in late 1635 at the mouth of the Connecticut River in present day Old Saybrook, Connecticut by John Winthrop, the Younger, son of John Winthrop, the Governor of Massachusetts. The former was designated Governor by the original settlers which included Colonel...
and Connecticut Colony
Connecticut Colony
The Connecticut Colony or Colony of Connecticut was an English colony located in British America that became the U.S. state of Connecticut. Originally known as the River Colony, it was organized on March 3, 1636 as a haven for Puritan noblemen. After early struggles with the Dutch, the English...
.
After the conclusion of the Revolutionary War, the inscription on the colonial seal was no longer appropriate. Therefore, in May of 1784 the General Assembly directed the Secretary to alter the inscription to read SIGILL. REIP. CONNECTICUTENSIS. However, when a new version of the seal was prepared, the inscription contained the words spelled out: Sigillum Reipublicae Connecticutensis ("Seal of the State of Connecticut"). There has been no subsequent alteration to the official state seal. In 1931 the General Assembly required that all representations of the state seal conform to the description in chapter 54 of the Public Acts of that year. This legislation also prohibited reproduction of the seal except by or under the direction of the Secretary of the State. It is the only non-circular state seal out of the fifty states, and is joined only by the Seal of Guam
Seal of Guam
The Seal of Guam appears in the middle of the flag of Guam. It depicts Agaña Bay near Hagåtña, a local proa and a palm tree. Charles Alan Pownall approved the seal in 1946....
when insular area
Insular area
An insular area is a United States territory, that is neither a part of one of the fifty U.S. states nor the District of Columbia, the federal district of the United States...
s are included.
Motto
Qui transtulit sustinet (Latin "He who transplanted sustains", also "He Who Transplanted Still Sustains" or "[He] Who Transplanted Continues to Sustain") is the state motto of ConnecticutConnecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
depicted on a blue ribbon below the grapevines.
The motto has been re-used for the name of Connecticut's SustiNet
SustiNet
SustiNet is a Connecticut health care plan passed into law in July, 2009. Its goal is to provide affordable health care coverage to 98% of Connecticut residents by 2014.-Provisions of the legislation:...
program to provide health care to state residents.
History of motto
The current motto looks a little different than the 1639 version (c.f. Sustinet qui transtulit). It was first seen in the colonies in 1639 on a seal brought from England by Colonel George FenwickGeorge Fenwick
Sir George Fenwick was a New Zealand newspaper proprietor and editor.Born in Sunderland, England, his family emigrated to Australia in 1852, and subsequently to Otago, New Zealand four years later...
. The meaning of the motto was explained on April 23, 1775 in a letter stamped in Wethersfield
Wethersfield
Wethersfield may refer to:* RAF Wethersfield, a British Ministry of Defence training facility in Essex, England* Wethersfield, Connecticut* Wethersfield, Essex, an English village near RAF Wethersfield* Wethersfield, New York* Wethersfield, Vermont...
, Connecticut: "We fix on our Standards and Drums the Colony arms, with the motto, Qui Transtulit Sustinet, round it in letters of gold, which we construe thus: God, who transplanted us hither, will support us".
However, this explanation for the origin of the motto is questionable. In 1889, State Librarian Charles J. Hoadly published an article, "The Public Seal of Connecticut" that indicated the 80th Psalm as a possible source. The article stated:
"The vines [on the State Seal] symbolize the Colony brought over and planted here in the wilderness. We read in the 80th Psalm: 'Thou has brought a vine out of Egypt: Thou hast cast out the heathen, and planted it" - in Latin, 'Vineam de Aegypto transtulisti, ejicisti gentes et plantasti eam'; and the motto expresses our belief that He who brought over the vine continues to take care of it - Qui transtulit sustinet".
Grapevines
The grapevines are said to represent more specifically either early towns or the early individual colonies. Some 19th century versions of the Connecticut Great Seal show several grapevines. The best answer today is that the grapevines should be taken to represent the three original colonies of Connecticut: (Hartford), Quinnipiac (New-Haven), and Saybrook, though it can also represent the first three settlements of the Connecticut colony proper- WindsorWindsor, Connecticut
Windsor is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States, and was the first English settlement in the state. It lies on the northern border of Connecticut's capital, Hartford. The population was estimated at 28,778 in 2005....
, Hartford, and Wethersfield
Wethersfield, Connecticut
Wethersfield is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. Many records from colonial times spell the name Weathersfield, while Native Americans called it Pyquag...
, as New Haven and Saybrook were reluctant additions to Connecticut.
Seal of the Governor
There is also a seal of the Governor of Connecticut. Unlike the State Seal however, it uses the Coat of Arms of ConnecticutCoat of Arms of Connecticut
The Coat of Arms of Connecticut is an official emblem of the State, alongside the Seal and State Flag. The General Assembly of Connecticut adopted a design for the official Arms of the State On March 24, 1931 , which it ordered to be drawn and filed with the Secretary of the State.-Description:The...
as it's central motif.
See also
- Symbols of the State of Connecticut
- Flag of ConnecticutFlag of ConnecticutThe flag of the state of Connecticut consists of a white baroque shield with three grapevines on a field of azure blue. The banner below the shield reads "Qui Transtulit Sustinet", , the state's motto...