Stateside With Rosalea: Maryland

What’s not to like about a state that has as its official sport, jousting? Not a surprising sporting choice, I suppose, since the obverse of its Great Seal features a knight in shining armor brandishing a sword, surrounded by Latin that translates as: Cecilius, Absolute Lord of Maryland and Avalon, Baron of Baltimore.

On the other hand, there’s this passage in James Michener’s historical novel “Chesapeake”:

“The Janneys gasped. Maryland! To exile the daughter of a Cavalier family to Maryland was a sentence only slightly less formidable than death, because Maryland was almost as deplorable as Massachusetts. In fact, the news was so depressing that no one could think of a sensible comment.”

The daughter in question, fair Rosalind Janney, was about to be shipped across Chesapeake Bay to marry one Fitzhugh Steed, and lamented having to leave Virginia and “the sweet English Chapel for the Romish Mass! Dear God, in neither Virginia nor England can a Papist hold office, and here I am marrying one!”

Religious tolerance was dear to the heart of the first proprietor of Maryland, the Irish Catholic George Calvert, First Lord of Baltimore, who had hoped to put the colony “securely beyond the reach of oaths” that tested a person’s religious beliefs. He died before any settlers left for the colony, and his son, Cecil—who never went there--instructed his Governor to have the Maryland Assembly pass an Act Concerning Religion. It’s also known as an “Act of Toleration.”

Article 37 of the Maryland Constitution’s Declaration of Rights states: “That no religious test ought ever to be required as a qualification for any office of profit or trust in this State, other than a declaration of belief in the existence of God....”

::But what if you’re an atheist?::
The US Supreme Court was called upon in 1961 to decide whether it was constitutional for Maryland to bar atheists from holding office. It arose from a case in which someone who wanted to be a notary public was denied that role because he would not declare a belief in God by swearing the state oath of office.

The Maryland Supreme Court had upheld that denial because “The petitioner is not compelled to believe or disbelieve, under threat of punishment or other compulsion. True, unless he makes the declaration of belief he cannot hold public office in Maryland, but he is not compelled to hold office.”

The US Supreme Court reversed the decision, stating: “This Maryland religious test for public office unconstitutionally invades the appellant's freedom of belief and religion and therefore cannot be enforced against him.” You can read the decision here—it makes interesting reading for anyone fascinated by the church vs. state arguments that are a huge feature of US political life.

::The Maryland flag::
The Calverts had prospered in 17th Century England by buttering up both sides of the Parliament vs. the King tumult. And elements of what is now the Maryland flag came to represent the two sides of the US Civil War as well. Maryland was a slave-holding state, and a lot of its population supported the South. The state itself, however, sided with the North, going so far as being the first northern state to free the slaves after the Civil War even though it was not required to, like the southern states were.

Maryland’s flag features elements of the Calvert coat of arms. The yellow and black are Calvert colors, and the red and white bottony cross design are Crossland—the maiden name of the Absolute Lord’s mum. Red and white were the colors of secession, and during the war, “Maryland-born Confederate soldiers used both the red-and-white colors and the cross bottony design from the Crossland quadrants of the Calvert coat of arms as a unique way of identifying their place of birth.”

The presence of both designs on the flag, according to the Maryland Secretary of State’s website, “commemorates the vision of the founders while it reminds us of the struggle to preserve the Union. It is a unique symbol of challenges met and loyalties restored, a flag of unity and reconciliation for all the state's citizens.”

::Bottony Bay::
Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in North America. Opinions differ about whether the Algonquin name means “Great Shellfish Bay” or simply “Village on the Bay” but it’s famous for its blue crabs, oysters, and other seafood, and is extremely popular with recreational boaters. South of the Potomac River, including its outlet to the Atlantic Ocean, The Bay is in Virginia, but the rest of it is in Maryland. It’s notoriously foggy and swampy. (Just like Washington DC, part of which was carved out of Maryland.)

Dugout, Bateau, Log Canoe, Brogan, Bugeye, Pungy, Skipjack, Deadrise, Draketail, and Tonger are each a variety of shallow-draft vessel suited to the narrow inlets and shoal waters of The Bay and used by commercial fishermen aka watermen. The skipjack is the state’s official boat. The Bay is also a major international shipping corridor. Lots of photos of it here. And very pretty they are, too.

::Sigh::
You still reading this? C’mon, get a life! As you can tell, I’m bored with Maryland, but at least it’s the seventh state to ratify the US Constitution, so we’re over the hump in terms of those first 13 colonies. I’d have lots to say about Maryland Congresspersons Steny Hoyer (Absolute Lord of What Makes it to the US House Floor) and Senator Barbara Mikulski (perhaps in line for nomination to the US Supreme Court) but I’ve sworn off writing anything contemporary ever since I got that phone call from a Pennsylvania lawyer. Besides, I’ve probably misremembered what I heard, and it was Senator Claire McCaskill of Missouri, a state that is still way off in the distance on our little tiki tour.

rosalea.barker@gmail.com
--PEACE--

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