Chapter I: Front Matter

E PLURIBUS UNUM ]

THE HISTORY
OF
THE SEAL
OF
THE UNITED STATES

]

WASHINGTON, D. C.
DEPARTMENT OF STATE
1909

WASHINGTON
GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE
1909

CONTENTS

PAGE.
LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL 5
I. THE FIRST DEVICE 7
II. THE LOVELL COMMITTEE 18
III. WILLIAM BARTON’S DESIGNS 23
IV. THE SECRETARY’S DEVICE 33
V. THE ARMS ADOPTED 41
VI. THE ILLEGAL SEAL 48
VII. THE THIRD SEAL 53
VIII. THE FOURTH SEAL 63
IX. USES OF THE SEAL 65
GLOSSARY OF HERALDIC TERMS 69
INDEX 71

_To the Honorable PHILANDER C. KNOX,
Secretary of State._

_Sir: In 1892, when I was serving in your Department, by direction of Secretary James G. Blaine I prepared an historical sketch of the seal of the United States, entitled “The Seal of the United States: How It was Developed and Adopted,” which the Department printed. It was prepared in a given time and was meager; and since it appeared I have gathered additional information concerning the history of the seal, which I now have the honor to offer the Department, the edition of the monograph of 1892 being exhausted._

_In 1897 Mr. Charles A. L. Totten published his two-volume work in New Haven, “Our Inheritance in the Great Seal of Manasseh, the United States of America: Its History and Heraldry; and Its Signification unto the ‘Great People’ thus Sealed;” and I take pleasure in acknowledging my indebtedness to Mr. Totten’s book for much valuable information concerning the seal._

_I have the honor to be, Sir,
Your obedient servant_,
_GAILLARD HUNT,
Chief, Division of Manuscripts._

_LIBRARY OF CONGRESS,
April 30, 1909._

THE SEAL OF THE UNITED STATES