[citation needed] The lower half of the Great Seal originally displayed a boat and a boatman with the word "Commerce" underneath, but was changed to a flat-bottomed riverboat without a boatman subsequently.

[1] Surrounding the images in the original design were the words "The Great Seal of the State of Tennessee" and "Feb. 6th, 1796".

[citation needed] The Great Seal is provided for in the Tennessee Constitution of 1796.

[2][1] Wheat and cotton were, and still are, important cash crops grown in the state.

In 1987, the Tennessee General Assembly adopted a standardized version of the seal that updated its look and appearance.