Maryland 

State Flag 

Silhouette

 

The Maryland state flag features a bold, highly distinct geometric pattern divided into four alternating quadrants that represent the 17th-century English heraldry of the state's founding family. The first and fourth quarters display the black-and-gold vertical bars of the Calvert family (paternal line of George Calvert, the first Lord Baltimore), while the second and third quarters feature the red-and-white cross bottony of the Crossland family (his mother's line).The Maryland General Assembly officially adopted this specific design on March 9, 1904, as a powerful, deliberate symbol of post-Civil War reconciliation and healing. During the war, Maryland was a deeply divided border state; Union soldiers from Maryland wore the black-and-gold Calvert colors, while Marylanders who fought for or sympathized with the Confederacy adopted the red-and-white Crossland banner as a symbol of resistance. By merging both opposing historical banners into a single, unified flag in 1904, the state officially brought its citizens back together, creating what is widely considered one of the most unique and recognizable state flags in the country.

 

Marylanders love their flag so much that they will happily print it on socks, shirts, bikinis, and crab mallets, completely ignoring the fact that the pattern makes everyone look like a walking optical illusion.