My thoughts on the Maryland flag, the greatest flag in the Union. (1/14)

A lot has been going around recently about the Confederate history of our flag. While important to learn and know, I don't think there's anything that merits a change. Let me explain. (2/14)

The Maryland colony was founded by the first Baron Baltimore, George Calvert. He aimed to create a colony to both make money for his family, but also to provide a place for persecuted Catholics. He personally never set foot in Maryland. (3/14)

He died before the charter was completed, and so the first proprietor of the Maryland colony was his first son, Cecil Calvert, the second Baron Baltimore. He administered the colony from his home in England (his younger brother Leonard was the first governor of Maryland). (4/14)

As the founders of the Maryland colony, the Calvert family crest was seen everywhere. It is a black and gold patterned shield, surrounded by feathers, topped with a Knight's helmet. Black and Gold became synonymous with colonial Maryland. (5/14)

Cecil Calvert was granted a separate coat of arms that incorporated the Calvert family's crest along with the family crest of the first Baron Baltimore's mother, the Crossland family. It also added two jaguars on either side. (6/14)

Cecil Calvert died in 1675, so all of this business with family crests, known with English heraldry, was over two hundred years before the American civil war. (7/14)

During the Civil War, Maryland remained in the Union, despite being a slave state. Lincoln prioritized keeping Maryland to protect Washington DC from falling to the Confederates, and even used Fort McHenry to unlawfully jail Confederate sympathizers. (8/14)

There were many Confederate sympathizers in MD, who wanted to express their support of the Confederacy, yet remain loyal to Maryland. To show this dual loyalty, they would fly the Crossland crest (to contradict the dominant black/gold, yet still honor George Calvert). (9/14)

The current flag design (taken from Cecil's coat of arms) was commonly used after the Civil War as a way to show unity between all Marylanders, that the war was over, the Confederacy was gone, and Americans had reunited. It was adopted as the official flag in 1904. (10/14)

So do I support changing the flag, as some have suggested? No! Definitely not. The red/white is not a Confederate symbol. They appropriated it back in the 1860s. The Confederacy were racist traitors; they shouldn't be allowed to steal the symbol now, 150 years later. (11/14)

I also think there's merit to the unity message that was intended in the late 1800s with the combined imagery. Too many in our society encourage division and divisiveness, which accomplishes nothing more than creating enemies and dysfunction. (12/14)

Lastly, this design honors the family of the founders of Maryland, both paternal (black/gold crest) and maternal (red/white crest) sides. It's taken directly from Cecil Calvert's coat of arms. I think the current design pays homage to our colonial history. (13/14)

Our flag is easily the best in the country, and when I, along with a vast majority of Marylanders see it, we feel pride and loyalty to our great state. Racist traitors tried to steal part of it 150 years ago. They lost. It's ours now. They don't get to take it again. (14/14)

PS: if you disagree with me, that's your right! Tell me why, I'd love to hear your thoughts.