deliriouslove1970. The life & times of Gary and Denise Flanders. (Free and worth every penny. If you would like to compliment the editor, send to garytheflan@deliriouslove1970.com. If you would like to complain, call your mother.)

The State Flag of Maryland. A state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to its east.

Maryland is one of the most densely populated states in the US. It has 4,000 miles of shorelines. Before the British came and colonized (took) this part of the country the Host Nation People were mostly Algonquin. It is named after the English Queen Henrietta Maria, the wife of King Charles I. It is one of the original 13 colonies.

The ‘founder’ (head honcho colonizer), is George Calvert, the 1st Baron of Baltimore. Calvert was a recent convert to Catholicism. He organized this land as a place that would practice religious tolerance. In 1694 the governing body passed “The Act Concerning Religion”. This penalized ‘any Marylander who reproached a fellow Marylander based on religious affiliation.’

The flag is taken directly from the coat of arms of George’s son, the second Baron of Baltimore, Cecil Calvert. As with the coat of arms the flag quarters the field with two different designs appearing twice.

The coat of arms combines the yellow and black of the Calverts with the red bordered cross of George’s mother’s family, The Crosslands.

Now, here is where it gets interesting. Being situated geographically where it is, during the Civil War the flag, and essentially the crest, becomes symbols for those supporting the north and those supporting the south.

The Maryland flag was officially adopted in 1904. It is generally held in high regard for flag design despite it being a little busy.