Seal of Wisconsin

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Great Seal of the State of Wisconsin
Seal of Wisconsin.svg
Versions
Coat of arms of Wisconsin.svg
Coat of arms of Wisconsin [1]
Wisconsin state coat of arms (illustrated, 1876).jpg
Historical coat of arms (illustrated, 1876)
US-NBN-WI-state seal detail (type 1) (Series 1882BB reverse) proof.jpg
Wisconsin state seal (first type) depicted on the reverse of Series 1882BB National Bank Note (1851)
Armiger State of Wisconsin
Adopted1848 (updated 1851 and 1881) [2] [3]
Motto Forward

The Great Seal of the State of Wisconsin is a seal used by the Wisconsin Secretary of State to authenticate all the governor's official acts, except laws.

Contents

Design

It consists of the state coat of arms, with the words "Great Seal of the State of Wisconsin" above it and 13 stars, representing the original states, below it.

The state seal emphasizes mining and shipping because at the time of Wisconsin's founding in 1848 the mining of lead and iron and shipping (via the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River) were major industries. [4]

The Secretary of State of Wisconsin is the keeper of Wisconsin's great seal. The seal is displayed in all courtrooms in the state, often alongside the county seal.

History

The first Seal of Wisconsin was developed in 1836, when the Wisconsin Territory was organized. [4] Designed by engraver William Wagner, [5] the territorial rendition of the seal depicted of a white farmer on a field, in the foreground, with a displaced Native American holding a bow further back; it also depicted a steamboat (in the Mississippi River) [6] and a schooner. [7] It also rendered a future state capitol building of Wisconsin, which was not used when the Wisconsin State Capitol was designed and constructed. [6]

Across the top of the seal was the phrase Civilitas Successitt Barbarum (Latin for "civilization succeeds barbarism", referring to the Native American populations), and the date "Fourth of July 1836" at the bottom. [5]

A revision occurred in 1839, with a new seal being developed from 1848, when Wisconsin achieved statehood, until being ratified in 1851, and was officially named the "Great Seal of Wisconsin" from that point on. [8] It was last redesigned in 1881. [4]

Government seals of Wisconsin

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Wisconsin State Symbols" in Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau (comp.). State of Wisconsin 2007-2008 Blue Book. Madison: Wisconsin Legislature Joint Committee on Legislative Organization, p. 962.
  2. ↑ "State Seals of Wisconsin". Archived from the original on 2023-12-23. Retrieved 2025-01-11.
  3. ↑ "Wisconsin State Symbols" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-03-03.
  4. 1 2 3 "Wisconsin Symbols | Wisconsin State Seal". authenticwisconsin.com. Retrieved 2025-06-24.
  5. 1 2 "Early Chippewa-U.S. Relations" (PDF). p. 10. Retrieved 2025-06-24.
  6. 1 2 Chamberlain, Oscar B. (2013). "?To Provide a Great Seal?: Interpreting the Wisconsin State Seal as an Example of Antebellum Political Culture". Agricultural History. 87 (1): 57–71. doi:10.3098/ah.2013.87.1.57. ISSN   0002-1482.
  7. ↑ "The Great Seal of the Territory of Wisconsin | Photograph". Wisconsin Historical Society. 2003-11-23. Retrieved 2025-06-24.
  8. ↑ USA, State Symbols (2014-04-26). "Wisconsin State Seal". statesymbolsusa.org. Retrieved 2025-06-24.
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