Main Staircase Window
(Second Floor)
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Since its settlement, Massachusetts has had a series of state seals. The first is shown in the top pane of the painted and stained glass Main Staircase window. Designed in England for the original Massachusetts Bay Colony, the seal portrays, unrealistically, a Native American attired in a grass skirt voicing the plea: "Come Over and Help Us."
When Massachusetts became part of the New England Royal Dominion in 1686, a new seal, shown below the first, was adopted. The family seals of the provincial governors appear on the two side panels, and the Revolutionary seal is located at the bottom of the window. This seal portrays a colonist clutching the Magna Carta in one hand and a sword in the other. Our current state motto, "Ense petit placidam sub libertate quietem", was adopted at that time. It means "By the sword we seek peace, but peace only under liberty."
Massachusetts adopted its current seal in 1780. It appears just above the Revolutionary seal. A more realistically dressed Native American is shown on a blue background, standing below a drawn sword. The star over his shoulder indicates that Massachusetts is one of the original colonies. The motto of the Commonwealth appears at the bottom of the seal.
Notable facts
- After the iron railings on the Main Staircase were cast, the molds were broken to ensure that the railings would be unique.
- Only four states are "commonwealths": Kentucky, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts. Massachusetts chose this designation when its first constitution, the "Constitution of Massachusetts Bay," was turned down by the cities and towns. To differentiate the second constitution, which for the first time included a Bill of Rights, the Constitution Convention named it the "Constitution of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts."