BigDaddyData.Com: Florida State Seal

    Florida became a state in 1845. The next year, it adopted a state seal depicting an oak tree and several palms, flowering shrubs, a woman, and several ships and boats.

    Florida adopted a new seal when it rejoined the United States in 1868, after the Civil War. On this seal, an Indian woman strews flowers on the ground. A cocoa palm, bag of coffee, and steamboat are also depicted. Mountains are seen in the background.

    In 1970, the cocoa palm was changed to a sabal palmetto, the state tree. But some people still complained about the seal. Why were there mountains when Florida's highest elevation is three hundred forty-five feet? Why was the Indian woman dressed like a Plains Indian?

    A revised seal was approved on May 21, 1985. The mountains and coffee were removed, and the woman was giving more appropriate attire.T

    The state seal is depicted on Florida's flag, which recalls a banner Florida flew during the Civil War.