The Maryland state flag combines the yellow and black quadrants from George Calvert’s paternal crest with the red and white quadrants from his maternal crest. The design was created to symbolize unity after the Civil War and was officially adopted in 1904.
The history of the Maryland state flag has its roots in the heraldic emblems of Maryland’s founding colonial family. The yellow and black quadrants of the flag reflect the colors of George Calvert’s paternal branch crest, while the red and white quadrants represent the colors of Calvert’s maternal branch crest, the Crosslands. The use of both emblems in the alternating quadrants of the flags reflects how the state overcame internal conflicts related to union allegiance during the Civil War. The need for reconciliation and unity during the post-Civil War period led to the use of both designs within the same flag and the unofficial adoption of the alternating quadrant design that is used today in the state flag of Maryland. Although the colors were unofficially associated with the state of Maryland throughout the late 19th century, the Maryland state flag was not officially adopted by the state until March 19, 9.
All historical mentions of the pre-Revolution Maryland state flag describe only Calvert’s yellow and black paternal heraldic emblem. After the end of the Revolutionary War, various other designs eclipsed the popularity of the yellow and black flag, and Calvert’s emblem was all but forgotten. It was revived again in 1854, when the state of Maryland officially adopted a seal that featured Calvert’s heraldic emblem on a blue background.
Shortly thereafter, the onset of the Civil War prompted many Marylanders to sympathize with the secessionists. Although the state of Maryland has officially sided with the Union, many of Maryland’s citizens were reluctant to use the colors of a state of the union to represent them. These sympathizers adopted the red and white Crosslands family heraldic emblem as a symbol of their opposing views. Red and white clothing became a popular style among this group, causing the colors to become known as the secession colors.
After the war, citizens of Maryland realized the need to unite and reconcile. They have once again sought a common identity as a state. At public events, banners featuring four alternating quadrants of the Calvert and Crosslands colors were a frequent symbol of the new unified mindset. While the original designer of the new design remains unknown, in the 1880s it began to be seen as an unofficial symbol of the state of Maryland.
In October 1889, the largest segment of its Maryland armed forces, the Fifth Regiment of the Maryland National Guard, officially adopted the four-color, four-dial design. This helped publicize and popularize the design and crystallize it as a symbol of Maryland’s history in the minds of Maryland citizens. On March 9, 1904, the current design was officially adopted by the state government for use as the state flag of Maryland.
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