Seal of Alabama

Designed in 1817 by the first governor of the Alabama Territory (William Wyatt Bibb), the great seal of Alabama features the major rivers of the state. All State Seals

The seal design is a map of the Alabama and surrounding territories (now states). When Alabama became a state in 1819, this seal became the official state seal and remained unchanged for over 50 years.

In 1868 (after the Civil War) a new seal was created with an eagle standing on the American shield holding a banner in its beak reading "Here We Rest." This seal design was used on official documents and letterheads from 1868 - 1939. In 1939  Alabama Legislature restored the original seal design.