Seal of Tennessee
Encyclopedia
The Great Seal of the State of Tennessee is the official insignia of the U.S. state
of Tennessee
.
The Roman numerals
XVI, representing Tennessee
as the 16th state
to enter the United States
, is found at the top of the seal.
The images of a plow, a bundle of wheat
, a cotton
plant, and the word "Agriculture" below the three images occupying the center of the seal. Wheat and cotton were and still are important cash crops grown in the State.
The lower half of the seal was originally supposed to display a boat and a boatman with the word "Commerce" underneath, but was changed to a flat-bottomed-riverboat
without a boatman subsequently. River trade was important to the State due to three large rivers: the Tennessee River
, the Cumberland River
, and the Mississippi River
; the boat continues to represent the importance of commerce to the State.
Surrounding the images are the words "The Great Seal of the State of Tennessee", and "Feb. 6th, 1796". The day and month have been dropped from later designs.
adopted a standardized version of the seal that updated its look and appearance. The seal is kept by the Secretary of State and the Governor for official use on State documents like legislation, commissions, and proclamations.
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 Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee 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...
.
Origins
An official Great Seal of Tennessee is provided for the in the Constitution of the State of Tennessee of February 6, 1796. However, design was not undertaken until 25 September 1801.Symbolism
Roman numerals
The numeral system of ancient Rome, or Roman numerals, uses combinations of letters from the Latin alphabet to signify values. The numbers 1 to 10 can be expressed in Roman numerals as:...
XVI, representing Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee 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...
as the 16th state
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...
to enter the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, is found at the top of the seal.
The images of a plow, a bundle of wheat
Wheat
Wheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...
, a 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....
plant, and the word "Agriculture" below the three images occupying the center of the seal. Wheat and cotton were and still are important cash crops grown in the State.
The lower half of the seal was originally supposed to display a boat and a boatman with the word "Commerce" underneath, but was changed to a flat-bottomed-riverboat
Riverboat
A riverboat is a ship built boat designed for inland navigation on lakes, rivers, and artificial waterways. They are generally equipped and outfitted as work boats in one of the carrying trades, for freight or people transport, including luxury units constructed for entertainment enterprises, such...
without a boatman subsequently. River trade was important to the State due to three large rivers: the Tennessee River
Tennessee River
The Tennessee River is the largest tributary of the Ohio River. It is approximately 652 miles long and is located in the southeastern United States in the Tennessee Valley. The river was once popularly known as the Cherokee River, among other names...
, the Cumberland River
Cumberland River
The Cumberland River is a waterway in the Southern United States. It is long. It starts in Harlan County in far southeastern Kentucky between Pine and Cumberland mountains, flows through southern Kentucky, crosses into northern Tennessee, and then curves back up into western Kentucky before...
, and the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
; the boat continues to represent the importance of commerce to the State.
Surrounding the images are the words "The Great Seal of the State of Tennessee", and "Feb. 6th, 1796". The day and month have been dropped from later designs.
Modern use
In 1987, the Tennessee General AssemblyTennessee General Assembly
The Tennessee General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Tennessee.-Constitutional structure:According to the Tennessee State Constitution of 1870, the General Assembly is a bicameral legislature and consists of a Senate of thirty-three members and a House of Representatives of...
adopted a standardized version of the seal that updated its look and appearance. The seal is kept by the Secretary of State and the Governor for official use on State documents like legislation, commissions, and proclamations.
See also
- State of Tennessee
- Symbols of the State of Tennessee
- Flag of TennesseeFlag of TennesseeThe flag of the state of Tennessee consists of an emblem on a field of red, with a strip of blue on the fly. The emblem of the middle consists of three stars on a blue circle. The flag was designed by Colonel LeRoy Reeves of the Tennessee National Guard. The Tennessee State Legislature officially...
- Flag of Tennessee
- Symbols of the State of Tennessee