State of Mississippi Symbols
State Coat of Arms and Motto
The committee to design a Coat of Arms was appointed by legislative action February 7, 1894, and the
design proposed by that committee was accepted and became the official Coat of Arms. The committee
recommended for the Coat of Arms a "Shield in color blue, with an eagle upon it with extended pinions,
holding in the right talon a palm branch and a bundle of arrows in the left talon, with the word
"Mississippi" above the eagle; the lettering on the shield and the eagle to be in gold; below the shield
two branches of the cotton stalk, saltierwise, as in submitted design, and a scroll below extending
upward and one each side three-fourths of the length of the shield; upon the scroll, which is to be red,
the motto be printed in gold letters upon white spaces, as in design accompanying, the motto to be
--VIRTUTE et ARMIS" which means by valor and arms.
The State Flag
The committee to design a State Flag was appointed by legislative action February 7, 1894, and
provided that the flag reported by the committee should become the official flag. The committee
recommended for the flag "one with width two-thirds of its length; with the union square, in width
two-thirds of the width of the flag; the ground of the union to be red and a broad blue saltier thereon,
bordered with white and emblazoned with thirteen (13) mullets or five-pointed stars, corresponding with
the number of the original States of the Union; the field to be divided into three bars of equal width, the
upper one blue, the center one white, and the lower one extending the whole length of the flag, red--the
national colors; the staff surmounted with a spear-head and a battle-axe below; the flag to be fringed
with gold, and the staff gilded with gold."
The State Bird: Mockingbird
Found in all sections of Mississippi, the cheerful Mockingbird was selected as the official State Bird
by the Women's Federated Clubs and by the State Legislature in 1944.
The State Flower and Tree: Magnolia
An election was held in November 1900 to select a State Flower. Votes were submitted by 23,278
school children. The magnolia received 12,745 votes; the cotton blossom 4,171; and the cape jasmine
2,484. There were a few votes for other flowers. The magnolia was officially designated as the State
Flower by the 1952 Legislature. In 1935, the Director of Forestry started a movement by which to
select a State Tree for Mississippi, to be selected by nomination and election by the school children of
the State. Four nominations were made--the magnolia, oak, pine and dogwood. The magnolia received
by far the largest majority. On April 1, 1938, the Mississippi Legislature officially designated the
magnolia as the State Tree.
The State Land Mammal
The White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) was designated the State Land Mammal of
Mississippi by Senate Bill No. 2324, General Laws of Mississippi of 1974. For information about
hunting in Mississippi, call (601) 362-9212 or (toll free in-state only) 1-800-628-7852. To purchase a
hunting or fishing license, call 1-800-5GO-HUNT.
The State Waterfowl
The Wood Duck (Aix sponsa) was designated the State Waterfowl of Mississippi, Chapter 551,
General Laws of Mississippi of 1974. Mississippi boasts more than a million acres of prime game
habitat in 36 state wildlife management areas and National Wildlife Refuges open for public hunting,
including marshy waterfowl havens.
The State Fish
The Largemouth or Black Bass (Micropterus salmoides) was designated the State Fish of Mississippi,
Chapter 551, General Laws of Mississippi of 1974. Call 1-800-ASK-FISH for weekly fishing reports.
The State Insect
The Honeybee (Apis mellifera) was designated the State Insect of Mississippi, Chapter 317, General
Laws of Mississippi of 1980.
The State Shell
An act designating the Oyster Shell (Crassostrea virginica) as the State Shell was approved April 12,
1974, Chapter 551, General Laws of Mississippi of 1974.
The State Water Mammal
An act designating the Bottlenosed Dolphin (Tursiops truncatus), commonly called the Porpoise, as
the State Water Mammal was approved April 12, 1974, Chapter 551, General Laws of Mississippi of
1974.
The State Song
Go, Mississippi
Words and Music by Houston Davis
Verse:
States may sing their songs of praise
With waving flags and hip-hoo-rays,
Let cymbals crash and let bells ring
'Cause here's one song I'm proud to sing.
Choruses:
Go, Mississippi, keep rolling along,
Go, Mississippi, you cannot go wrong,
Go, Mississippi, we're singing your song,
M-I-S-S-I-S-S-I-P-P-I
Go, Mississippi, you're on the right track,
Go, Mississippi, and this is a fact,
Go, Mississippi, you'll never look back,
M-I-S-S-I-S-S-I-P-P-I
Go, Mississippi, straight down the line,
Go, Mississippi, ev'rything's fine,
Go, Mississippi, it's your state and mine,
M-I-S-S-I-S-S-I-P-P-I
Go, Mississippi, continue to roll,
Go, Mississippi, the top is the goal,
Go, Mississippi, you'll have and you'll hold,
M-I-S-S-I-S-S-I-P-P-I
Go, Mississippi, get up and go,
Go, Mississippi, let the world know,
That our Mississippi is leading the show,
M-I-S-S-I-S-S-I-P-P-I
State Fossil
A Senate Concurrent Resolution, designating the prehistoric whale as the state fossil, was adopted March 26, 1981.
State Beverage
An act to designate milk as the state beverage was adopted by the Mississippi State Legislature during the 1984
Regular Session.
State Stone
A Senate Concurrent Resolution, designating petrified wood as the state stone, was adopted May 14, 1976. The
Mississippi Petrified Forest is a privately operated park and museum located at 124 Forest Park Road, Flora, Mississippi.
For more information call (601) 879-8189.
Maps of Mississippi
Mississippi Tourism Department
State Coat of Arms and Motto
The committee to design a Coat of Arms was appointed by legislative action February 7, 1894, and the
design proposed by that committee was accepted and became the official Coat of Arms. The committee
recommended for the Coat of Arms a "Shield in color blue, with an eagle upon it with extended pinions,
holding in the right talon a palm branch and a bundle of arrows in the left talon, with the word
"Mississippi" above the eagle; the lettering on the shield and the eagle to be in gold; below the shield
two branches of the cotton stalk, saltierwise, as in submitted design, and a scroll below extending
upward and one each side three-fourths of the length of the shield; upon the scroll, which is to be red,
the motto be printed in gold letters upon white spaces, as in design accompanying, the motto to be
--VIRTUTE et ARMIS" which means by valor and arms.
The State Flag
The committee to design a State Flag was appointed by legislative action February 7, 1894, and
provided that the flag reported by the committee should become the official flag. The committee
recommended for the flag "one with width two-thirds of its length; with the union square, in width
two-thirds of the width of the flag; the ground of the union to be red and a broad blue saltier thereon,
bordered with white and emblazoned with thirteen (13) mullets or five-pointed stars, corresponding with
the number of the original States of the Union; the field to be divided into three bars of equal width, the
upper one blue, the center one white, and the lower one extending the whole length of the flag, red--the
national colors; the staff surmounted with a spear-head and a battle-axe below; the flag to be fringed
with gold, and the staff gilded with gold."
The State Bird: Mockingbird
Found in all sections of Mississippi, the cheerful Mockingbird was selected as the official State Bird
by the Women's Federated Clubs and by the State Legislature in 1944.
The State Flower and Tree: Magnolia
An election was held in November 1900 to select a State Flower. Votes were submitted by 23,278
school children. The magnolia received 12,745 votes; the cotton blossom 4,171; and the cape jasmine
2,484. There were a few votes for other flowers. The magnolia was officially designated as the State
Flower by the 1952 Legislature. In 1935, the Director of Forestry started a movement by which to
select a State Tree for Mississippi, to be selected by nomination and election by the school children of
the State. Four nominations were made--the magnolia, oak, pine and dogwood. The magnolia received
by far the largest majority. On April 1, 1938, the Mississippi Legislature officially designated the
magnolia as the State Tree.
The State Land Mammal
The White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) was designated the State Land Mammal of
Mississippi by Senate Bill No. 2324, General Laws of Mississippi of 1974. For information about
hunting in Mississippi, call (601) 362-9212 or (toll free in-state only) 1-800-628-7852. To purchase a
hunting or fishing license, call 1-800-5GO-HUNT.
The State Waterfowl
The Wood Duck (Aix sponsa) was designated the State Waterfowl of Mississippi, Chapter 551,
General Laws of Mississippi of 1974. Mississippi boasts more than a million acres of prime game
habitat in 36 state wildlife management areas and National Wildlife Refuges open for public hunting,
including marshy waterfowl havens.
The State Fish
The Largemouth or Black Bass (Micropterus salmoides) was designated the State Fish of Mississippi,
Chapter 551, General Laws of Mississippi of 1974. Call 1-800-ASK-FISH for weekly fishing reports.
The State Insect
The Honeybee (Apis mellifera) was designated the State Insect of Mississippi, Chapter 317, General
Laws of Mississippi of 1980.
The State Shell
An act designating the Oyster Shell (Crassostrea virginica) as the State Shell was approved April 12,
1974, Chapter 551, General Laws of Mississippi of 1974.
The State Water Mammal
An act designating the Bottlenosed Dolphin (Tursiops truncatus), commonly called the Porpoise, as
the State Water Mammal was approved April 12, 1974, Chapter 551, General Laws of Mississippi of
1974.
The State Song
Go, Mississippi
Words and Music by Houston Davis
Verse:
States may sing their songs of praise
With waving flags and hip-hoo-rays,
Let cymbals crash and let bells ring
'Cause here's one song I'm proud to sing.
Choruses:
Go, Mississippi, keep rolling along,
Go, Mississippi, you cannot go wrong,
Go, Mississippi, we're singing your song,
M-I-S-S-I-S-S-I-P-P-I
Go, Mississippi, you're on the right track,
Go, Mississippi, and this is a fact,
Go, Mississippi, you'll never look back,
M-I-S-S-I-S-S-I-P-P-I
Go, Mississippi, straight down the line,
Go, Mississippi, ev'rything's fine,
Go, Mississippi, it's your state and mine,
M-I-S-S-I-S-S-I-P-P-I
Go, Mississippi, continue to roll,
Go, Mississippi, the top is the goal,
Go, Mississippi, you'll have and you'll hold,
M-I-S-S-I-S-S-I-P-P-I
Go, Mississippi, get up and go,
Go, Mississippi, let the world know,
That our Mississippi is leading the show,
M-I-S-S-I-S-S-I-P-P-I
State Fossil
A Senate Concurrent Resolution, designating the prehistoric whale as the state fossil, was adopted March 26, 1981.
State Beverage
An act to designate milk as the state beverage was adopted by the Mississippi State Legislature during the 1984
Regular Session.
State Stone
A Senate Concurrent Resolution, designating petrified wood as the state stone, was adopted May 14, 1976. The
Mississippi Petrified Forest is a privately operated park and museum located at 124 Forest Park Road, Flora, Mississippi.
For more information call (601) 879-8189.
Maps of Mississippi
Mississippi Tourism Department
| Great States of America Internet Project |
| This project was designed to bring together classrooms across the USA. Each participating state has a teacher website posted where you can get information about that state. Just look for the flags! |
| Learn About Mississippi |
comes from the Chippewa words "mici zibi" meaning "great river" or
"gathering in of all the waters" and the Algonquin word "Messipi".
Mississippi was organized as a territory in 1798 and was admitted as the 20th
state to join the Union on December 10, 1817. Jackson is the capital city and
the largest Metropolitan area.
Explore the information below to learn more about our great state.
"gathering in of all the waters" and the Algonquin word "Messipi".
Mississippi was organized as a territory in 1798 and was admitted as the 20th
state to join the Union on December 10, 1817. Jackson is the capital city and
the largest Metropolitan area.
Explore the information below to learn more about our great state.
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