Mason-Dixon Line

The Mason-Dixon Line is a demarcation between four U.S. States. It is traditionally thought of as the boundary between the Northern and Southern United States. The Mason-Dixon Line forms part of the borders of Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, and West Virginia. The line was surveyed by Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon between 1763 and 1767.

Fast Facts

1. Survey by Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon began in 1763 to solve a land dispute between the British colonies of Maryland and Pennsylvania
2. Demarcated part of the borders of four states: Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia
3. The line has been resurveyed several times over the centuries without substantive changes to Mason and Dixon's work

History

The Mason-Dixon Line was created to resolve the dispute between British colonies Maryland and Pennsylvania/Delaware. Incorrect maps and descriptions caused the territories of the three colonies to overlap. Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon began to survey the areas in order to come to a resolution. The Mason-Dixon Line became important to the history of slavery, as it was used to designate a boundary between slave states and free states.

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