On November 14 1763, Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon began surveying the Mason-Dixon line between Maryland and Pennsylvania.
The line was established to end a boundary dispute between the British colonies of Maryland and Pennsylvania/Delaware. The most serious problem was that the Maryland claim would put Philadelphia, the major city in Pennsylvania, within Maryland.
It cost the Calverts of Maryland and the Penns of Pennsylvania 3,512 pounds and 9 shillings to have 244 miles surveyed with such accuracy. To them the money was well spent, for in a new country there was no other way of establishing ownership
To many people, the Mason–Dixon line symbolizes a boundary between the North and the South (Dixie). However, for some who identify as Southern, Maryland is not considered a Southern state.
What do y’all think?
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