Template:POTD/2020-05-29

Picture of the day

On 29 May 1790, Rhode Island ratified the United States Constitution, becoming the last state to do so. It was a controversial decision, which occurred only after the United States had threatened a trade embargo against the state for non-compliance, with Rhode Island not having acceded to the Constitution almost three years after it was drawn up in 1787.

This picture is a historical depiction of Rhode Island's coat of arms, as illustrated by American engraver Henry Mitchell in State Arms of the Union, published in 1876 by Louis Prang. It was adopted by the state's General Assembly in 1881 and came into effect on 1 February 1882. The legislation stated: "The arms of the state are a golden anchor on a blue field, and the motto thereof is the word 'Hope'". A similar design appears on the seal of Rhode Island and other symbols of the state.Illustration credit: Henry Mitchell; restored by Andrew Shiva