Great Seal of Rhode Island

Rhode Island's anchor symbol dates to the colonial period. Providence Plantations used the anchor and the motto Hope long before American independence, drawing on both the colony's maritime economy and the Biblical line in Hebrews 6:19 describing hope as an anchor for the soul.

For much of state history, the seal used the longer name State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. That wording reflected the colonial charter tradition, but it became controversial in the twenty-first century because of the term plantations. In November 2020, Rhode Island voters approved a constitutional amendment removing Providence Plantations from the official state name.

The current seal reflects that change. By 2022, official state use had shifted to Seal of the State of Rhode Island with the date 1636. The date points to Roger Williams's founding of Providence rather than the 1647 parliamentary patent that had defined earlier seal history.

Rhode Island's current seal relies on only three main elements, and each one carries a large share of the meaning.

Rhode Island's seal has changed less in symbol than in wording and styling. The anchor and Hope remained constant, while the surrounding text, date, and border treatment changed across the colonial, pre-2022, and current versions.