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The Great Seal of the State of Minnesota.
The Great Seal of the State of Minnesota is the insignia that the Secretary of State affixes to government papers and documents to make them official. A seal for the territory of Minnesota was adopted in 1849 and approved by Governor Alexander Ramsey and the territorial legislature. When Minnesota became a state on May 11, 1858, there was no official state seal and, according to law, no official act could be undertaken without it. The territorial seal was used as a state seal until Governor Henry Sibley started using a new design. When the legislature did not approve Governor Sibley's design he made some changes, including changing the original Latin motto to French (Étoile du Nord, meaning Star of the North), thereby making Minnesota the North Star State. In 1861 the legislature adopted the new design, making it the official state seal. In 1983, the legislature altered the seal further.
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