Maryland State Flag
Fact-checked • Updated January 15, 2025
Maryland State Flag
Maryland adopted its state flag in 1904, featuring heraldic designs from the Calvert and Crossland families. The flag divides into four quarters showing alternating patterns. Black and gold checkers appear in two quarters while red and white crosses fill the other two.
What Is the Maryland State Flag?
The Maryland state flag is the official banner representing Maryland. The design divides into four quarters. Two quarters show black and gold checkers in a diagonal pattern. The other two quarters display a red and white bottony cross.
These patterns come from colonial-era family crests. The Calvert family founded Maryland in 1632. The Crossland family connected to the Calverts through marriage. Government buildings and schools across Maryland fly this flag.
Meaning of the Maryland State Flag
The flag represents Maryland's colonial heritage through two historic family crests. The black and gold quarters show the coat of arms of the Calvert family. The red and white quarters display the Crossland family crest, which belonged to the mother of George Calvert, the first Lord Baltimore.
During the Civil War, these two designs took on political meaning. Marylanders who supported the Union flew the Calvert colors. Those who sympathized with the Confederacy used the Crossland pattern. After the war, combining both designs symbolized reconciliation between divided Maryland families.
The flag demonstrates unity from division. Bringing both crests together created a unique state symbol that acknowledged Maryland's complex Civil War history while moving forward as one state.
History of the Maryland State Flag
Maryland authorized its state flag in 1904. The legislature approved a design combining the Calvert and Crossland family crests. These heraldic patterns dated to the seventeenth century when the Calvert family established the Maryland colony.
The flag design appeared informally before official adoption. Maryland units used versions of these patterns during the Civil War. After 1865, groups began combining both crests to represent state unity. By the 1880s, the four-quarter design appeared at public events.
The 1904 law formalized what had become common practice. No single designer received credit. The flag emerged from decades of informal use and gradual acceptance. Maryland remains one of the few states with a flag based entirely on heraldic family crests.
Symbols of the Maryland State Flag
Calvert Colors
The black and gold quarters display the Calvert family coat of arms. George Calvert, the first Lord Baltimore, founded the Maryland colony in 1632. His family used this heraldic pattern in England before coming to America.
The pattern shows six vertical bars alternating between gold and black. A diagonal band crosses from the upper left to lower right. The diagonal reverses the color pattern. This design follows traditional English heraldry rules.
During the Civil War, Marylanders loyal to the Union identified with the Calvert colors. The pattern represented Maryland's official colonial government and its ties to federal authority.
Crossland Colors
The red and white quarters show the Crossland family crest. This pattern belonged to the family of George Calvert's mother. The Crossland arms became associated with Maryland through this family connection.
A red and white bottony cross dominates each quarter. The cross arms end in three-lobed shapes called trefoils. This style appears in medieval European heraldry. The pattern alternates red crosses on white backgrounds with white crosses on red backgrounds.
Confederate sympathizers in Maryland adopted the Crossland colors during the Civil War. The pattern became an unofficial symbol of Southern loyalty. After the war, incorporating it into the state flag helped heal divisions.
Maryland State Flag Colors
The flag uses black, gold, red, and white. Black and gold come from the Calvert family coat of arms. Red and white derive from the Crossland family crest. These four colors make Maryland's flag one of the most distinctive state banners.
Maryland State Flag Facts
- Maryland adopted its state flag in 1904
- The flag design comes from two seventeenth-century family crests
- George Calvert founded Maryland in 1632
- The Calvert colors are black and gold
- The Crossland colors are red and white
- The flag symbolizes reconciliation after the Civil War
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Sources & References
This article has been researched using authoritative sources to ensure accuracy and reliability. All information has been fact-checked and verified against official government records and historical databases.
Official documentation on Maryland state flag history and symbolism • Accessed: January 15, 2026
Legal specifications and current flag standards • Accessed: January 15, 2026
Statutory description of the Maryland state flag • Accessed: January 15, 2026
General overview of the Maryland state flag design and history • Accessed: January 15, 2026
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