The state flag of Maryland is both distinctive as well as a symbolic
history of the state's roots. It is based upon the heraldic designs of two
English families, the Calverts and the Crosslands, the parents of the first
Lord Baltimore.
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| The state flag of Maryland rated in the top 5 by NAVA for its design |
The yellow and black bars represent the Calvert family, the
first Lord Baltimore's paternal side. The red and white key pattern represents his
maternal side, the Crossland family.
During colonial times and all the way up to and including
the Civil War, the bumble bee colors of yellow and black generally represented
Maryland. In fact, colonial descriptions of Maryland flags only describe flags
using the yellow and black combination.
Though Maryland was a part of the Union, it was an eastern
border state and it also had a large and active population that was sympathetic
to the Confederate cause. During the Civil War, Confederate sympathizers began
to show support of their cause by wearing "secessionist cockades", decorative
rosettes common to the time – much like campaign buttons or bumper stickers are
used today.
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| Lord Baltimore's coat-of-arms |
Secessionist cockades, however, were made in a variety of color
schemes from red and white; blue; or red, white and blue together. To make it
even more complicated, Union cockades also existed in border states like
Maryland and were in a similar color scheme: red, white and blue; or Union
blue.
Confusion aside, in Maryland, a red and white secessionist color
scheme apparently was adopted to show support of the southern cause:
"'Secession colors' appeared on everything from yarn
stocking and cravats [men's neckties] to children's clothing. People
displaying these red-and-white symbols of resistance to the Union and to
Lincoln's policies were vigorously prosecuted by Federal authorities"
(www.sos.state.md.us).
Binding the nation's wounds ...
With these badges of protest in mind, the current flag of Maryland
contains another layer of symbolism: that of unity rising out of disunity.
Made from a design of four quadrants of repeating design, the
flag's colors not only date to the founding of the colony, but they also reflect the divisive
times of the Civil War. The colors of both sides – secessionist red and white
as well as traditional Maryland yellow and black – are used in equal parts in order to
create the Maryland flag.
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Reproduction cockade,
c.1860
(flagsoverhatteras.com) |
First flown October 11, 1880 at the 150th parade marking Baltimore's founding (msa.md.gov), the flag was also flown October 25, 1888 at the Gettysburg Battlefield in a ceremony dedicating memorial monuments to the Maryland regiments from the Army of the Potomac (msa.md.gov). It also was flown by the Maryland National Guard's Fifth Regiment
in 1889. This design became the official state flag of Maryland in 1904.
Maryland is one of the original 13 colonies. It is the 7th state to join the new nation. It adopted its first state constitution on November 8, 1776. Its statehood date is April 28, 1788, the date it signed the federal Constitution.
Finding ancestors who were slave
Maryland makes it easy to do an online search of the slave records of Prince George's County from 1808 -1869. To search the Freedom Records archive, follow this link.
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Flag of Maryland's
4th Regiment of US Colored Troops
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Civil War regimental flag of the Maryland 4th US Colored Troops
Originally 6.5' high and
6'wide, the flag of Maryland's 4th Regiment of US Colored Troops is the only
surviving regimental flag from the 25 regiments of African American soldiers.
It is hand-painted and hand-stitched onto silk and was carried into battle (www.mdhs.org).
Let it fly!
sources:
AmericanHerladry.org
Heritage.nf.ca
Maryland Dept. of State
Maryland Historical Society (mdhs.org)
Maryland State Archives (msa.md.gov)
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