Mason–Dixon Line

E21202

The Mason–Dixon Line is the historic boundary surveyed in the 18th century between several American colonies that later came to symbolize the cultural and political divide between the Northern and Southern United States.

Jump to: Surface forms Statements Referenced by

Observed surface forms (2)

Surface form Occurrences
Mason–Dixon line 2
Mason and Dixon line 1

Statements (48)

Predicate Object
instanceOf historical boundary
surveyed border line
alsoKnownAs Mason–Dixon Line
surface form: Mason and Dixon line
approximateLength about 233 miles
associatedWith American Civil War era regional divisions
slavery in the United States
completedIn 1767
coordinateSystemUsed celestial observations
country United States of America
surface form: United States
definedBy agreement between the Penn family and the Calvert family
endPoint near the crest of the Appalachian Mountains
followsParallel 39th parallel north (approximate)
hasHeritageStatus listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places (in parts)
historicalEra 18th century
influenced later U.S. state boundary definitions
legalStatus colonial boundary line
locatedIn Eastern United States
markedBy crownstones with family coats of arms
stone markers
namedAfter Charles Mason
Charles Mason
surface form: Jeremiah Dixon
partOf borders of Delaware
borders of Maryland
borders of Pennsylvania
borders of West Virginia
precededBy earlier, disputed colonial boundary claims
purpose to resolve a border dispute between Pennsylvania and Maryland
region Mid-Atlantic states
surface form: Mid-Atlantic United States
separates Province of Delaware
surface form: Delaware

Maryland
Maryland and Delaware
Maryland and Pennsylvania
Maryland and West Virginia
Pennsylvania
West Virginia
startPoint near the Delaware River
surveyedFor British Crown colonies in North America
Colony of Maryland
surface form: Province of Maryland

Province of Pennsylvania
surveyEndYear 1767
surveyMethod astronomical surveying
chain measurement
surveyor Charles Mason
Charles Mason
surface form: Jeremiah Dixon
surveyStartYear 1763
symbolizes boundary between Northern United States and Southern United States
cultural divide in the United States
political divide in the United States

Referenced by (5)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Mason–Dixon Line alsoKnownAs Mason–Dixon Line
this entity surface form: Mason and Dixon line
Colony of Maryland borderDefinedBy Mason–Dixon Line
this entity surface form: Mason–Dixon line
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, United States near Mason–Dixon Line
subject surface form: Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
Mason & Dixon subject Mason–Dixon Line
this entity surface form: Mason–Dixon line