Arkansas History, Geography, Population, State Facts

Great Seal of the State of Arkansas

Adopted in 1864, 1907.

The Arkansas Seal was adopted in its present form in 1907.

The eagle in the lower half of the circle of the seal holds a scroll inscribed with the Latin phrase "Regnat Populus" (the state motto, which means "The People Rule") in his beak, a bundle of arrows in one claw, and an olive branch in the other. The breast of the eagle is covered with a shield, on which is engraved a steamboat, a beehive, a plow, and a sheaf of wheat, symbols of Arkansas' industrial and agricultural wealth. Above the eagle is placed the figure of the Goddess of Liberty, holding a wreath in one hand and a liberty pole with cap in the other. The goddess, wreath, and pole are surrounded by a circle of stars and rays. The figure to the left of the eagle is that of the Angles of Mercy, supporting the shield against the breast of the eagle with her left hand. The Sword of Justice is to the right of the shield. The seal was adopted in its basic form in 1864, and in its present form in 1907.

** - The Great Seal is provided here for educational purposes only. State law restricts reproduction of the Great Seal for other purposes.

Spaniard Hernando de Soto was among the early European explorers to visit the territory in the mid-16th century, but it was a Frenchman, Henri de Tonti, who in 1686 founded the first permanent white settlement—the Arkansas Post. In 1803 the area was acquired by the U.S. as part of the Louisiana Purchase.

Part of the Territory of Missouri from 1812, the area became a separate entity in 1819 after the first large wave of settlers arrived. The next several decades were marked by the development of the cotton industry and the spread of the Southern plantation system west into Arkansas. Arkansas joined the Confederacy in 1861, but from 1863 the northern part of the state was occupied by Union troops.