This version of the Maryland state flag was adopted in 1904, and Marylanders must be very pleased with it as some coin it “the perfect state flag,”. Its “bold colors, interesting patterns, and correct heraldry,” were inspired by the shield in the coat of arms of the Calvert-Crossland families of George Calvert, the first Lord Baltimore (1579–1632).
The yellow-and-black arms represent his paternal family, the Calverts, while the red-and-white colors and cross-bottony design represent his maternal family, the Crosslands. George Calvert believed wanted to create a settlement where Catholics and Protestants could coexist in harmony and Maryland was hoped to be that place.
Louisiana
Before Louisiana was purchased from France by the United States in 1803, the state proudly flew the flags of France, Spain, and Great Britain. There was even a period of two months that Louisiana flew a flag as an independent nation for after seceding from the Union in 1861.
Today, the state flag of Louisiana is beautiful azure blue and what is described as a "pelican in her piety," a heraldic charge that shows a mother pelican "in her nest feeding her young with her blood". This dramatic display is said to signify the state’s willingness to sacrifice itself for its citizens. Louisiana's state motto- "Union Justice Confidence," is also present below.
Maine
The current state flag dates back to 1909. It features the Maine Coat of Arms on a blue field that exhibits a farmer with a scythe and a seaman with an anchor representing Maine’s traditional reliance on agriculture and the sea. There's also a moose resting under a large pine tree pictured.
Between the shield and the North Star is the word, “Dirigo,” the state’s motto meaning “I lead.” there another banner beneath the seal with the"Main".
Massachusetts
Let's start this one off with a fun state fact. Massachusetts, as peculiar as it may seem, has three official flags: a state flag, a governor's flag, and a maritime flag (despite it no longer having its own navy). Go figure. The state flag consists of the Massachusetts coat of arms on either side. On the coat of arms, there's an Algonquin Native American from the Massachuset tribe, carrying a bow and arrow pointing downward symbolizing peace. Above him is a single white star that represents the Bay State as one of the 13 original colonies of the United States (and the 6th state admitted into the Union). On a blue ribbon around the lower part of the shield bearing the state motto "Ense Petit Placidam, Sub Libertate Quietem" Latin for “By the Sword We Seek Peace, but Peace Only under Liberty,”. The motto is also reflected by the bent arm at the top of the shield holding up a sword.
The Massachusetts state flag is one of only three state flags, along with Florida and Minnesota, to a have Native American prominently featured in its heraldry, and it's the also is one of only two states in the U.S. to have a two-sided state flag, the other being Oregon.
Michigan
Michigan’s state flag was adopted in 1911 and is another flag that showcases national and state values. It's blue and includes the state’s coat of arms, which include the Bald Eagle holding an olive branch and arrows (the U.S. national emblem) above a shield displaying a sunrise over a lake, and a man standing on a grassy peninsula waving with one hand while holding a rifle in the other. The man is said to represent the desire for peace but will to fight for state and nation whenever necessary. The shield is supported by an elk and a moose, the great animals of Michigan.
There are three state mottos that encircle the coat of arms: E Pluribus Unum; Tuebor; and Si Quaeris Peninsulam Amoenam Circumspice, which translate from Latin to "From many, one"; "I will defend"; and "If you seek a pleasant peninsula, look about you" respectively. If you notice, the shield of arms depicts them pictorially. What a masterpiece!