THE GREAT SEAL HISTORY and MEANING
Great Seal History
Introduction Seal Origins The Generation Gap Historical Background The Jubilee Era The Thomson Seal The First Committee The Second Committee The Third Committee The Thomson Seal and Blazon The Adams Jubilee Seal The Jacksonian Era The Stubbs Seal The Bartle Seal The Columbia Era The Dwight Seal The John Hay Columbia Seal Great Seal Meaning Introduction The Obverse Side: Government The Star Crest The Eagle The Reverse Side: Society The Pyramid The Eye Crest |
Hours following the signing of the Declaration of Independence,
Congress commissioned three of its writers to design a Great Seal and a coat of
arms for the new nation; in a sense to make an emblem of the document they just
wrote and of the people (who minutes before) signed it.
“Symbolically, the Great Seal reflects the beliefs and values the Founding Fathers attached to the new nation and wish to pass on to their descendants.” US State Dept. July 2003 The Great Seal of the United States is a useful, beautiful and powerful image to those who understand it. However it can only be fully understood in the context of its exciting history and the inspiring lives of the people who designed it. The links to the left will take you there. (Links are in process) The material is taken from the book, The Great Seal: A Beacon over Troubled Waters; a unique book that not only reveals the history of this most significant emblem, but the motivation behind its meticulous development. (Click here to purchase.) This information is made available at no cost to not only the passive reader, but to those American patriots actively involved in the several programs promoting the meaning and utility of America’s Great Seal. (Click here to see programs.) |