NAVA News 32/1-2
The Flag of the Maritime Republic of Eastport
By Harry Oswald
There are many different types of flags.
Early in 1998, a unique or at least rare type of flag was unfurled: the Maritime Republic of Eastport. Few of you may have heard of Eastport or know where it is. It is a small residential community located on a peninsula on the West side of Chesapeake Bay.
Its Northern boundary is Spa Creek and the City of Annapolis. Most Americans are familiar with Annapolis - it is the Capital of Maryland, home of the United States Naval Academy, site of the signing of the Treaty of Paris in 1783, and was for a short time, the Capital of the United States.
Among boaters it is famous for the Annapolis Boat Shows and the Annapolis Yacht Club. Some vexillologists know it as the home of the Shaw Flag, which was recreated with the assistance of former NAVA president Grace Cooper, an authority on 13-star flags. Eastport, once an independent community, was annexed to the City of Annapolis in 1951.
Late last year, the Maryland Department of Transportation announced that the Spa Creek Bridge would have to be closed for several weeks in January to make needed repairs. The bridge is located near the mouth of Spa Creek and connects downtown or historic Annapolis with Eastport. The Annapolis Yacht Club is at the Northerly end of the bridge and its boatyard is at the Southerly end. The bridge is the closest connection between central Annapolis and Eastport. This announcement caused some concern among the business owners in Eastport. They envisioned an intolerable loss of revenue because of the unfamiliar mute their customers would have to travel to patronize their businesses or that they would stop coming until the bridge reopened. In November, two of the business owners met to discuss ways to alleviate their losses.
After many meetings between the business owners, it was agreed that they needed a great deal of publicity so their customers would realize that the bridge was closing and that they would have to use other routes to get to the Eastport businesses. They decided to stage a secession from Annapolis and establish the Maritime Republic of Eastport. Because this was a sham secession, and would hopefully ease the anticipated transportation and parking problems, the City Fathers gave their support. Politically, Eastport would still be a part of Annapolis.
The promoters could see the need for a coat of arms and a flag. The arms consist of a quartered generic boat transom topped with a mooring bitt. The first quarter displays the port side of a Chesapeake Bay dead rise work boat. The second quarter has a Great Blue Heron in flight. The third quarter shows a Maryland Blue Crab. The fourth quarter is the starboard side of a cabin sloop. For supporters they chose two rampant Chesapeake Bay Retrievers, each mouthing a tennis ball. Although mouthing a tennis balls is not an heraldic term, there must have been an amateur heraldist somewhere in the group.
They chose a flag of gold with the arms centered in black. Above the arms is an arched ribbon with swallow tailed ends and severed in the middle with the motto WE LIKE IT - THIS WAY. This of course represents the closure of the bridge and Eastport's separation from Annapolis. Below the shield and supporting the rampant retrievers is a second ribbon with the legend MARITIME REPUBLIC OF EAS'IPORT.
While the design of the arms and the flag were important, the flag would have to be used in a way to get a great deal of publicity. The way they chose was a force of arms.
On the morning of the 25th of January 1998, nine groups of armed revolutionary and civil war reenactment troops assembled at the Southern end of the Spa Creek Bridge. They called themselves the Chowderhead Eastport Militia. Their Commander was Tom Russell. In addition to their muskets, they had four muzzle loading cannons. An estimated 400 Eastport residents gathered with the militia.
The Unanimous Declaration of Independence of the Maritime Republic of Eastport was read:
'When in the course of Public Works it becomes necessary to dismantle the Bridge connecting the Eastport Peninsula with the Annapolis Mainland, it is fitting that we, the People of the Neighborhood of Eastport, also dismantle and by doing so dissolve the social, economic and political bands as well as the physical bands which have connected us. We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men and women are created equal as evidenced by the fact that, no matter their social or economic status, they all wear the same beat-up deck shoes. That they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. That is to say, to get a life and enjoy our Work as well as the jovial companionship of Family and Friends; Liberty from suits, ties and socks; and the Pursuit of prize Rockfish, the Finish Gun, two-week cruises, Crabs, Beer and Oysters. That to secure these rights, a new government shall be instituted among us, deriving its powers from the consent of the Governed as well as the impetus of the Governed to thumb their noses at the establishment. That two score and seven years ago, we the People of Eastport were annexed against our will into the City of Annapolis, and ever since have suffered a second-class status at the snobbish hand of Annapolis Proper. Therefore we now Declare our Independence and thereby do celebrate the unique maritime Character of our own Culture, our own History, our own Heritage, our own Horticulture, Architecture and Naval Architecture, our People and our Retrievers and Felines, our own Neighborhood, our own Eastport! We, therefore, the representatives of the Maritime Republic of Eastport do solemnly declare that this Neighborhood is, and by Rights ought to be a Free and Independent State, that we are Absolved from all Allegiances to Annapolis Proper, and that we have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and do all the other Stuff which Independent States may of right do, especially to throw really big Parties. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the fact that nobody's ever going to take us too seriously anyway, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our Sacred Sense of Humor."
The Declaration was signed by 25 citizens of Eastport. At each pause during the reading, there was a large cheer from the crowd. After the reading, the bombardment of Annapolis started. Overhead one of the three planes of the Eastport Air Force towed a banner that read 'Eastport is Revolting - Join Us." During this time, the Eastport Coffee Shop owners threw tea into Spa Creek. When they had expended sufficient black powder, Commander Russell declared a cease fire.
There were many of the new yellow Maritime Republic of Eastport flags being waved. Unbeknown to most people at the time, the flags were not the correct color. This is a problem familiar to most flag designers, manufacturers and retailers. The printer had been unable to obtain any gold colored cloth. The entire group, accompanied by a band, route stepped to Leon's Barber Shop. There the Declaration of Independence was read again and Leon Wolfe was appointed Prime Minister. Credentials were given to all the appointed ministers. Passports and discount coupons good at Eastport businesses were distributed. The crowd then dispersed. Some of the males in attendance were probably intent on getting home to watch the Super Bowl.
The event was covered by the Baltimore Sun and was pictured on page Bl the next day.
Up till this time Eastport was probably best known in Anne Arundel County for its "Winter Sock Buming Day" which was celebrated on the 1st day of Spring.
The whole operation was an extremely successful marketing ploy. During the bridge closure, the Eastport businesses all had an increase of business. During the same period, similar businesses in Annapolis proper had less business. Unbelievably, the promoters made $20,000 selling flags and other souvenirs.