Mason-Dixon Survey

The Mason-Dixon Survey, conducted in the 1760s, was a significant boundary survey led by Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon. It aimed to resolve territorial disputes between Maryland and Pennsylvania and define the border between those states and later between northern and southern U.S. regions. Using precise astronomical observations and surveying techniques, they marked a clear demarcation with stone boundary markers. Over time, their work became symbolically associated with the division between the North and South, especially around the issue of slavery, and played a crucial role in American history and geography.