Illinois has had four seals, with the first resembling the US seal. The third, adopted in 1868, features an eagle holding a shield and an olive branch, with the state motto “Sovereignty of the State, National Union” arranged to emphasize “National Union”. The seal is surrounded by the date of the adoption of the first Illinois Constitution. The secretary of state is the designated keeper of the seal, which is used as proof of authenticity on official state government documents.
The current state seal of Illinois has been in use since 1868 and was preceded by two state and two territory seals. The first seal was that of the Northwest Territory adopted in 1788, followed in 1809 by that of the Illinois Territory. Once Illinois became a state in 1818, the first Assembly ordered state officials to design a seal. This first state seal of Illinois remained in use until it was redesigned in 1839. The second state seal of Illinois gave way to the current design of the third state seal in 1868.
Illinois’ first state seal was authorized by the Assembly in February 1819, just two months after joining the Union. Its design mimicked that of the official seal of the United States. An eagle displayed a red and white striped shield and held 13 arrows in its left claw and an olive branch in its right claw. The eagle was enclosed by a border that included the Illinois state date. This design was retouched but essentially unchanged for the second Illinois state seal used from 1839 to 1868.
In early 1867, then Secretary of State Sharon Tyndale decided that the second state seal should be retired in favor of a new design. The secretary wanted a design that was unlike the national seal that would have distinguished Illinois as a state. She lobbied State Senator Allen C. Fuller to introduce a bill that would require a new bill and instruct the secretary of state to do the job.
Although the bill passed in March 1867, it was not without some controversy. The state motto of Illinois was, and remains, “Sovereignty of the State, National Union.” Secretary Tyndale wanted to reverse the motto on the redesigned seal to read “National Union, State Sovereignty.” The American Civil War had ended two years earlier, in 1865, and the secretary wanted to emphasize union over state. The bill retained the original syntax, but did not limit the flexibility of the secretary regarding the design of the seal.
The redesigned third Illinois state seal kept the eagle with a shield, but the bird of prey now sat atop a rock with a rising sun in the background. He’s gripping his shield in his claws with the olive branch on the ground beneath it. The rock bears the dates 1868 and 1818, the dates of the adoption of the new seal and the state of Illinois, respectively.
The eagle holds a banner with the state motto in its beak. Although Secretary Tyndale did not change the syntax, he arranged the motto so that “National Union” was emphasized as he wished. The phrase “Sovereignty of the State” is first, but below “National Union”. Also, the banner is twisted so that “Sovereignty” is upside down and therefore more difficult to read.
The seal has the shape of a circle. Surrounding the design is the date of the adoption of the first Illinois Constitution on August 16, 1818 in Kaskaskia. The upper arc of the circle reads: “Illinois State Seal”. While this third seal has been modified several times since 1868, the design remains intact.
Use or reproduction of the state seal of Illinois is permitted only in the circumstances described in chapter five of the Illinois Compiled Statutes. Under the State Designations Act, the secretary of state is the designated keeper of the state seal of Illinois. He or she may allow others to inspect and reproduce the seal.
State seals are the official emblems of individual American states. They are symbols that represent unique facets of each state and commemorate important dates. State seals are often used on official state government documents as proof of their authenticity and authority.
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