Seal of Georgia (U.S. state)
Encyclopedia
The Great Seal of the State of Georgia
was originally adopted in 1776 as part of the State Constitution
, though it has been modified since. Its specifications are currently spelled out by statute
.
The obverse (front) of the seal is centered around an arch
with three pillars, the arch symbolizing the state's Constitution and the pillars representing the three branches of government: legislative, executive
, and judicial. The words of the state motto, "Wisdom, Justice, Moderation", are wrapped around the pillars, being guarded by a man (possibly a soldier from the American Revolution
) with a drawn sword, representing the military's defense of the Constitution. This image also serves as the state's coat of arms
.
The front side motto, surrounding the coat of arms, consists of the words "State of Georgia" in the top half of the circle and the year 1776 on the bottom, commemorating the date of the Declaration of Independence
. The date was originally 1799 (the adoption of the seal) but was changed in 1914.
On the less-prominent reverse of the seal, there is an image of Georgia's coast
, with a ship
(bearing the American flag) arriving to take aboard tobacco
and cotton
, symbolizing Georgia's export
trade. There is another boat, bringing the crops from the inland regions, representing the state's "internal traffic". In the back, there is a man plowing and a flock of sheep. As the motto around the top indicates, this collection of images represents the state's "agriculture
and commerce
". The date here is also 1776.
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
was originally adopted in 1776 as part of the State Constitution
Georgia (U.S. state) Constitution
The Constitution of the State of Georgia is the governing document of the U.S. state of Georgia. The constitution outlines the three branches of government in Georgia. The legislative branch is embodied in the bicameral General Assembly. The executive branch is headed by the Governor. The judicial...
, though it has been modified since. Its specifications are currently spelled out by statute
Statute
A statute is a formal written enactment of a legislative authority that governs a state, city, or county. Typically, statutes command or prohibit something, or declare policy. The word is often used to distinguish law made by legislative bodies from case law, decided by courts, and regulations...
.
The obverse (front) of the seal is centered around an arch
Arch
An arch is a structure that spans a space and supports a load. Arches appeared as early as the 2nd millennium BC in Mesopotamian brick architecture and their systematic use started with the Ancient Romans who were the first to apply the technique to a wide range of structures.-Technical aspects:The...
with three pillars, the arch symbolizing the state's Constitution and the pillars representing the three branches of government: legislative, executive
Executive (government)
Executive branch of Government is the part of government that has sole authority and responsibility for the daily administration of the state bureaucracy. The division of power into separate branches of government is central to the idea of the separation of powers.In many countries, the term...
, and judicial. The words of the state motto, "Wisdom, Justice, Moderation", are wrapped around the pillars, being guarded by a man (possibly a soldier from the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
) with a drawn sword, representing the military's defense of the Constitution. This image also serves as the state's coat of arms
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
.
The front side motto, surrounding the coat of arms, consists of the words "State of Georgia" in the top half of the circle and the year 1776 on the bottom, commemorating the date of the Declaration of Independence
Declaration of independence
A declaration of independence is an assertion of the independence of an aspiring state or states. Such places are usually declared from part or all of the territory of another nation or failed nation, or are breakaway territories from within the larger state...
. The date was originally 1799 (the adoption of the seal) but was changed in 1914.
On the less-prominent reverse of the seal, there is an image of Georgia's coast
Coast
A coastline or seashore is the area where land meets the sea or ocean. A precise line that can be called a coastline cannot be determined due to the dynamic nature of tides. The term "coastal zone" can be used instead, which is a spatial zone where interaction of the sea and land processes occurs...
, with a ship
Ship
Since the end of the age of sail a ship has been any large buoyant marine vessel. Ships are generally distinguished from boats based on size and cargo or passenger capacity. Ships are used on lakes, seas, and rivers for a variety of activities, such as the transport of people or goods, fishing,...
(bearing the American flag) arriving to take aboard tobacco
Tobacco
Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...
and cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
, symbolizing Georgia's export
Export
The term export is derived from the conceptual meaning as to ship the goods and services out of the port of a country. The seller of such goods and services is referred to as an "exporter" who is based in the country of export whereas the overseas based buyer is referred to as an "importer"...
trade. There is another boat, bringing the crops from the inland regions, representing the state's "internal traffic". In the back, there is a man plowing and a flock of sheep. As the motto around the top indicates, this collection of images represents the state's "agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
and commerce
Commerce
While business refers to the value-creating activities of an organization for profit, commerce means the whole system of an economy that constitutes an environment for business. The system includes legal, economic, political, social, cultural, and technological systems that are in operation in any...
". The date here is also 1776.
Trivia
- By law, the Secretary of State is the official custodian of the Great Seal, which is attached to official papers by executive order of the Governor. This custodianship has led to some controversies:
- From 1868 to 1871, during the Reconstruction era, the seal was not used for official business because it was hidden under the home of wartime Secretary of State Nathan C. Barnett. In 1872, when Georgians re-took control of the government, Barnett (who had been re-elected by that point) brought the seal back.
- During the Three Governors Controversy in 1947, Secretary of State Ben W. Fortson, Jr., took the seal and hid it, preventing any of the claimants to the governorship from executing any business until the Supreme Court of Georgia could make a ruling on the rightful winner.
- The seal or coat of arms appears on seven of the eight flags of Georgia. (It does not appear on the state flag used from 1879 to 1902.)
- A cast ironCast ironCast iron is derived from pig iron, and while it usually refers to gray iron, it also identifies a large group of ferrous alloys which solidify with a eutectic. The color of a fractured surface can be used to identify an alloy. White cast iron is named after its white surface when fractured, due...
representation of the pillars and arch has stood at the north entrance of the University of GeorgiaUniversity of GeorgiaThe University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States...
since 1858. According to legend, it is bad luck for freshmen (or, in some versions, any undergraduate student) to walk under "The Arch", as the AthensAthens, GeorgiaAthens-Clarke County is a consolidated city–county in U.S. state of Georgia, in the northeastern part of the state, comprising the former City of Athens proper and Clarke County. The University of Georgia is located in this college town and is responsible for the initial growth of the city...
landmark is popularly known. Legend suggests that any student walking through the arch prematurely will never graduate. Today, The Arch is an important symbol of the University.
- Agriculture and Commerce is also the official motto of TennesseeTennesseeTennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
.
See also
- List of Georgia state symbols
- Flag of Georgia
External links
- Georgia Secretary of State's Page on the Seal
- Official Code of Georgia 50-3-30, the section that describes the state seal