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Maryland (United States)

Rich Orman

History of the flag

See also:

Flag Protocol of Maryland
State symbols of Maryland
Maryland flag pages from Steven Kramer
Greenbelt
Howard County
Smith Island
United States of America
States of the United States
Calvert Arms/King's Colours
Gaithersburg
Baltimore County
Prince George's County Flags

History of the flag

There was at least one other flag used by the state of Maryland. The current flag was first used by the Maryland Fifth Regt. in 1888 during a parade in Baltimore. It included the coat of arms of the first Lord Baltimore's father's family, the Calvert black and gold as well as that of his mother's family, the Crosslands. This coat of arms was based on a pun. the family's name was croffland. Written in the runic alphabet, the name meant farmland, as those who are familiar with crofters might guess. Transliterated into the Latin alphabet, the flowing f's became esses. It was natural to use a cross for the coat of arms.

During the War for Southern Independence (American Civil War), Maryland was occupied by northern troops and civil rights were suspended. Many people escaped across the potomac river into Virginia and fought in the Army of Northern Virginia under Robt. E. Lee, the confederate general. Some of them served in Virginia regts, but many served in Maryland units. They used the cross botanee of the Crosslands as a breast decoration. Any Marylander who was caught wearing red and white colors or dressing their baby in red and white was arrested for treason. After the war, the Maryland fifth contained many who had fought on opposing sides during the War. They adopted the flag, which became the state flag in 1904. References to the use of a state flag from 1776-1904 do not specify what flag was used.

William M. Grimes-Wyatt, 1996-MAY-09

As I understood it, this flag was identical to the current state flag, with the exception that the quarters were reversed -- Confederate veterans placed the Crossland arms in the 1st and 4th quarters, hoist to the left, with Calvert in 2nd and 3rd. The Maryland Legislature flipped them to their present positions in 1904.

Steve Kramer, 1996-MAY-10