These examples are from the Cambridge English Corpus and from sources on the web. The sheaf of wheat stands for fertility of the Illinois prairies, the ship, Lake Michigan, and the Indians, the original settlers of the Chicago region. The Senate disagreed with Tyndale and amended and passed the bill on March 7, 1867, restoring the original wording. The Seal of the Illinois Territory followed in 1809. please talk about the shield though. Seals spend most of their time exploring under water and coming to the shore to mate, and give birth to babies. The symbolic meaning of the Seal is as follows: The Shield – represents the national spirit of Chicago. “Urbs in Horto” – “ Garden City – is the motto by which the early city fathers hoped Chicago would be. Shortly after the Illinois Territory gained statehood in December 1818, the First General Assembly of the state decreed that state officials should procure a permanant State Seal. This First Great Seal of Illinois was used until 1839 when it was recut. From top to bottom they are: The three state seals subsequently used in Illinois' history differed from the territorial seals in that the eagle held a banner in its beak with the words of the state motto, "State Sovereignty, National Union." Moreover, the word "Sovereignty" was upside down, further decreasing its readability. Chicago is known by a plethora of nicknames, including “The Windy City”, “Chi-Town”, the “Second City”, “Chicagoland”, and in a play on New York’s nickname, “The Big Onion.” In a poem by Carl Sandberg which was published in 1916 titled “Chicago,” he refers to the city as “City of the Big Shoulders.” Colonel Thomas J. V. Owen, United States Commissioner and President of the Town Board, has been credited with being the author of this first authentic signature of the town’s existence. On the dark blue shield the Sun rises over a lake and peninsula, a man holding a long gun with a raised hand represents peace and the ability to defend his rights.The elk and moose are symbols of Michigan, while the bald eagle represents the United States. This committee reported in July, 1837, for enactment as a municipal seal the device which, although the original drawing is lost, is described thus in the ordinance:“The seal of Chicago shall be represented by a shield (American) with a sheaf of wheat on its center; a ship in full sail on the right; a sleeping infant on the top; an Indian with bow and arrow on the left; and with the motto `Urbs in Horto’ at the bottom of the shield, with the inscription `City of Chicago-Incorporated, 4th of March, 1837′ around the outside edge of said seal.”Amendments to the above ordinance were made in June, 1854, and February, 1893, the first amendment specifying that “over the shield an infant reposes on a sea-shell,” while the latter amplifies this by decreeing a “sleeping infant on top, lying on its back on a shell.”In 1905 the city introduced a new seal, while remaining almost identical, only minor changes were made. The new version became the Second Great Seal. The Great Seal of the State of Illinois is the official emblem of the state, and signifies the official nature of a document produced by the state of Illinois. A census, taken by the city a few months after the charter of the city was taken out, showed a population of 4,170.

This First Great Seal of Illinois was used until 1839 when it was recut. Reproduction or use of the State Seal, or the State Flag, is permissible only in strict accordance with the provisions of Chapter 5 of the Illinois Compiled Statutes. The Illinois state seal features a bald eagle holding a banner in its beak with the state motto, “State Sovereignty, National Union” written on it. The flag of the state of Illinois consists of the seal of Illinois on a white background, with the word "Illinois" underneath the seal.