3x5 Maryland State Flag

The flag of Maryland consists of the heraldic banners of the family of George Calvert, 1st Baron Baltimore. It was officially adopted by Maryland in 1904, and is the only state flag in the United States to be based on British heraldry. 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.