| A short
history of the Maryland State flag |
The flag of Maryland
consists of the heraldic banners of the family of George Calvert,
1st Baron Baltimore. It is the only state flag in the United
States to be based on British heraldry, though Washington, D.C.'s
is as well. It was officially adopted by Maryland in 1904. The
black and gold design on the flag is that of the Calvert family.
It was given to Calvert as a result of storming a fortification
in battle (the vertical bars approximate the bars of the palisade).
The red and white design is that of the Crossland family, the
family of Calvert's mother, and features a cross bottony. George
Calvert adopted a coat of arms that included a shield with alternating
quadrants featuring both the colors of his paternal family (in
the 1st and 4th quarters) and of his maternal family (in the
2nd and 3rd quarters). |
| A short
history of Maryland (The Old Line State) |
In 1767, Dixon
and Mason established its boundary with Pennsylvania on a famous
line (the Mason-Dixon Line). They were the Proprietors and ruled
Maryland until the state was formed in 1776. On April 28, 1788
it ratified the U.S. Constitution. |
| Area
of Maryland |
10,460 sq. miles |
Capital
|
Annapolis |
| Major
Products |
Dairy products,
poultry, coal, cement, electrical and electronic equipment, processed
food, tourism |
| State
Motto |
Fatti maschii,
parole femine (Manly deeds, womanly words) |
| Nickname(s) |
Old Line State;
Free State |
