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.

All labels observed (5)

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (48)

Predicate Object
instanceOf historical boundary
surveyed border line
alsoKnownAs Mason and Dixon line
linked to: Mason–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
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
Jeremiah Dixon
linked to: Charles Mason
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 United States
linked to: Mid-Atlantic states
separates 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
Province of Maryland
linked to: Colony of Maryland

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

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (10)

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

Gettysburg, Pennsylvania near Mason–Dixon Line
Mason–Dixon Line alsoKnownAs Mason and Dixon line
linked to: Mason–Dixon Line
Mason & Dixon subject Mason–Dixon line
linked to: Mason–Dixon Line
Colony of Maryland borderDefinedBy Mason–Dixon Line
Hagerstown–Martinsburg, MD–WV Metropolitan Statistical Area locatedNear Mason–Dixon line
linked to: Mason–Dixon Line
Blue Ridge Summit, Pennsylvania locatedNear Mason–Dixon line
linked to: Mason–Dixon Line
Charles Mason notableWork Mason–Dixon Line survey
linked to: Mason–Dixon Line
Charles Mason legacy Mason–Dixon Line later associated with cultural boundary between U.S. North and South
linked to: Mason–Dixon Line
Youghiogheny River crosses Mason–Dixon line
linked to: Mason–Dixon Line
Hagerstown Valley locatedNear Mason–Dixon line
linked to: Mason–Dixon Line