Introductory material

5To 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.

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THE SEAL OF THE UNITED STATES