In the southwest corner of the state, near Mount Morris, there is a monument that reads: "MASON-DIXON LINE. Made famous as line between free and slave states before War Between the States. The survey establishing Maryland-Pennsylvania boundary began in 1763; halted by Indian wars 1767; continued to southwest corner in 1782; marked 1784." The text seems simple enough to understand. The marker stands to show where the North ends and the South starts. However, the story behind the boundary line is bitter, hostile and, at times, violent; and the story dates back to the mid-17th century.
In 1681, King Charles II gave William Penn the land down past the 40th parallel. Both colonies' claims to the 40th parallel created conflicts, necessitating the Mason and Dixon survey.
In 1632, King Charles I gave Cecilius Calvert the land that has since been named Maryland. The boundaries for Calvert's land were: in the north, the state began at the 40 degree north latitude line; in the south by the Potomac River and the latitude through Watkins Point on the Eastern Shore; in the east, the Atlantic Ocean; and, in the west, by a meridian through the source of the Potomac River. Three of these borders were created by natural landmarks and were easy to determine exactly when Calvert's land began. However, the northern border would become a problem.
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