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MDGenWeb provides free genealogy for researchers of Maryland genealogies! Below you will find our counties which each have lots of records and information to help you find your Maryland ancestors. We need volunteers to transcribe records, gather cemetery records, manage websites, and more ~ please email us to sign up!

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West Virginia WVGenWeb	Pennsylvania PAGenWeb
District of Columbia DCGenWeb		Delaware DEGenWeb
Virginia VAGenWeb

County	Established	Original County(s)	Coordinator
Allegany County	1789	Washington	Heidi Albright
Anne Arundel County	1650	Original County	Rae Hebron
Baltimore City	1729	Baltimore County	Gayle L. Triller
Baltimore County	1659	Original County	Rae Hebron
Calvert County	1654	Original County (formerly Patuxent)	MaryAlice Schwanke
Caroline County	1773	Dorchester and Queen Anne's	David Baker
Carroll County	1837	Baltimore and Frederick
Cecil County	1674	Baltimore and Kent	Norma Hass
Charles County	1658	Original County	MaryAlice Schwanke
Dorchester County	1668	Original County
Frederick County	1748	Prince George's and Baltimore	Dorinda Shepley
Garrett County	1872	Allegany
Harford County	1773	Baltimore
Howard County	1851	Anne Arundel and Baltimore	Rebecca Maloney
Kent County	1642	Original County
Montgomery County	1776	Frederick
Prince George's County	1695	Charles and Calvert	Rae Hebron
Queen Anne's County	1706	Talbot
St. Mary's County	1637	Original County
Somerset County	1666	Original County	Shari Handley
Talbot County	1662	Kent
Washington County	1776	Frederick
Wicomico County	1867	Somerset and Worcester	Shari Handley
Worcester County	1742	Somerset	Shari Handley

Statehood

In 1781, during the American Revolutionary War (1775-1783), Maryland became the seventh state of the United States to ratify the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union. They were drawn up by a committee of the Second Continental Congress (1775-1781), which began shortly after the adoption of a Declaration of Independence in July 1776, to 1778. Later that year, these articles were recommended to the newly independent sovereign states via their legislatures for the required unanimous ratification. This long process was held up for three years by objections from smaller states led by Maryland until certain issues and principles over the western lands beyond the Appalachian Mountains to the Mississippi River. These objections were resolved with the larger states agreeing to cede their various western claims to the authority of the new Congress of the Confederation, representing all the states, to be held in common for the laying out and erection of new states out of the jointly held federal territories. Maryland then finally agreed to join the new American confederation by being one of the last of the former colonies ratifying the long proposed Articles in 1781, when they took effect.

Later that same decade, Maryland became the seventh state to ratify the stronger government structure proposed in the new U.S. Constitution in 1788.

State Flag

Maryland's flag stands out! Every Marylander has had at least one occasion to lament or defend it's bold colors and eye-catching design. Here's the story of how the flag came to be.

For those unfamiliar with the Maryland state flag, it features four alternating quadrants; the first and fourth display the black and gold bars and diagonal inverted stripe of the Calvert coat of arms and the second and third quadrants depict red and white quadrants and an inverted cross bottony of the Crossland coat of arms.

The design of the Maryland state flag is steeped in Maryland history.

It was George Calvert, first Lord Baltimore, and his family, who were the colonial proprietors of Maryland. His mother, Alicia Crossland, was an heiress to the Crossland line, meaning that Calvert was free to use her coat of arms as well.

Earlier iterations of the Maryland state flag included those with Calvert colors, which were discontinued after the Revolution and replaced by various unofficial banners, the most common of which was the state seal set on a blue background. In 1854, a new state seal was established featuring the Calvert coat of arms and re-introducing the design to the public.

When the Civil War broke out and martial law was declared in Maryland, Confederate sympathizers and soldiers adopted the Crossland colors and bottony cross as a way to signify their home state while simultaneously distinguishing themselves from Unionist Marylanders, who used the Calvert colors.

"Following Lincoln's election in 1861, red and white secession colors appeared on everything from yarn stockings and cravats to children's clothing. People displaying these red-and-white symbols of resistance to the Union and to Lincoln's policies were vigorously prosecuted by Federal authorities." - History of the Maryland Flag, Secretary of State website

During Reconstruction, the state government sought a way to integrate Confederate soldiers into a state which had remained in the Union. The original designer and origin are unknown, but around the 1880s, the current design of the Maryland flag began appearing at events, including a parade celebrating the 150th anniversary of the founding of Baltimore. The four alternating quadrants came to symbolize unity and reconciliation in the post-war years.

The design was officially adopted as the State Flag in 1904.

This post was written by Maggie Pelta-Pauls, a Waxter Intern with Preservation Maryland. A graduate of The College of William and Mary, Maggie is primed to research and write about Maryland history especially culinary history.