Myths of Maryland: The Calvert, the Crossland, and the Civil War

No primary sources support the myth that Confederate supporters used the Crossland banner, a component of the Maryland flag, during the Civil War. The Maryland flag is deeply embedded in the identity and culture of Marylanders. However, its history is convoluted, and the interpretation of its adoption often oversimplified. This article explores the history of the flag of Maryland, especially its role during the Civil War, to explain how the Calvert and Crossland symbols came to be the Maryland state flag. While the history of the Maryland flag found online appears straightforward and broadly held—multiple historians assert that, during the Civil War, Confederate soldiers utilized the Crossland banner to represent the South, while Union soldiers utilized the Calvert banner to represent the North—the story of the Calvert and Crossland arms’ use on flags is much more complex. The online oversimplification of the history of the Maryland flag stems from a lack of primary sources used on credible websites and the projection of personal biases by historians onto historical flags.

[IVI.CID] 70d7799b-57c7-4e99-9d5e-f5423e9426a3