Adoption of the Great Seal of the United States
- When
- 1776–1782
- Where
- Continental Congress; United States federal government
- Episodes
- 6
On June 20, 1782, the Continental Congress accepted the design for the Great Seal of the United States, culminating a six-year process involving three committees and fourteen contributors. The obverse depicts a bald eagle grasping thirteen arrows and an olive branch, making the bird a national symbol.
Episodes
- First Committee Named
Congress named the first committee to design a Great Seal on July 4, 1776, the day independence was declared.
- Second Committee Reports
A second committee formed March 25, 1780, reported a design to Congress on May 10, 1780.
- Third Committee and Barton Design
Congress formed a third committee on May 4, 1782; William Barton's design was submitted five days later.
- Thomson Prepares Final Design
On June 13, 1782, Congress turned to Secretary Charles Thomson with all material from the three committees.
- Adoption of the Great Seal
The design was submitted to Congress on June 20, 1782, and accepted the same day, depicting a bald eagle with thirteen arrows and an olive branch.
- First Use of the Seal
Charles Thomson first used the seal on September 16, 1782, to verify signatures authorizing a prisoner exchange negotiation.
Background and detail
Background. On July 4, 1776, the same day independence was declared, the Continental Congress named its first committee to design a Great Seal, or national emblem, for the country. The effort ultimately took six years, three committees, and the contributions of fourteen men before Congress accepted a design incorporating elements from all three committees.
Design Process. A second committee, formed March 25, 1780, comprised James Lovell, John Morin Scott, and William Churchill Houston, and reported on May 10, 1780. Congress formed a third committee on May 4, 1782, with John Rutledge, Arthur Middleton, and Elias Boudinot; William Barton produced a design submitted five days later. On June 13, 1782, Congress turned to Secretary Charles Thomson with all submitted material. Francis Hopkinson also contributed the stripe arrangement, incorporating it into the seal from the United States flag he had designed.
Adoption and Legacy. Thomson, largely designing the seal with William Barton, submitted the final design on June 20, 1782, and Congress accepted it the same day. The obverse shows the national coat of arms; the reverse features a truncated pyramid topped by an Eye of Providence. Thomson first used the seal on September 16, 1782, to verify signatures authorizing George Washington to negotiate a prisoner exchange.
People involved
- Charles Thomson · Secretary of the Continental Congress who prepared and presented the final design
- William Barton · Designer who contributed to the final seal
- Francis Hopkinson · Designer of the US flag whose stripe arrangement was incorporated into the seal
- James Lovell · Member of the second seal committee
- John Morin Scott · Member of the second seal committee
- William Churchill Houston · Member of the second seal committee
- John Rutledge · Member of the third seal committee
- Arthur Middleton · Member of the third seal committee
- Elias Boudinot · Member of the third seal committee
Sources
- Great Seal of the United States Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-27
- Bald eagle Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-30
Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.