Category: Mason-Dixon-Line

Mason-Dixon Line Talk is Available Through Delaware Humanities

Mason-Dixon Line southwest corner of Delaware
A Mason-Dixon marker at the southwest corner of Delaware (Source: Delaware Public Archives)

I am pleased to announce that Delaware Humanities has selected my new talk, “The Mason-Dixon Line: An Enduring Boundary in American History,” for inclusion in the 2024-25 Speakers Bureau and Visiting Scholars program. This lecture delves into the fascinating and complex history of the Mason-Dixon Line—an enduring boundary that is deeply etched into the American landscape and our nation’s collective memory.

In this talk, I explore the original story of the Mason-Dixon Line, which began as a survey aimed at resolving a contentious territorial dispute over royal land grants. From there, we examine how the line’s significance has evolved over time and its lasting influence on popular culture.

The Delaware Humanities Speakers Program provides scholars who engage with community groups, organizations, libraries, and K-12 classrooms throughout the state. These program presents an opportunity for those with expertise in various humanities-centered fields to bring enriching and informative presentations to local audiences.

Presentations are offered in two formats:

  1. Speakers Bureau Presentations – designed for public audiences.
  2. Visiting Scholars Presentations – tailored specifically for elementary and secondary school students.

If you want to book this engaging talk through the Humanities, click this link for more information.

Mason-Dixon Line Interview: Scott Lamar, WITF

Baltimore Sun on Mason Dixon Line interview
A Mason-Dixon Crownstone near Hagerstown (Source: Baltimore Sun, Sunday Magazine, Dec. 3, 1956 — Bodine)

WITF’s Scott Lamar visited the Chester County Border on May 25, 2023, to do a Mason-Dixon Line interview about the history of one of the most famous boundaries in America with historian Mike Dixon.

The boundary line between Pennsylvania and Maryland was disputed as early as the 1680s. An English team – Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon – surveyed the land and worked to mark the boundary line from 1763 to 1767.

Nearly a hundred years later, the Mason-Dixon Line took on meanings beyond its intended purpose, a geographic boundary that sorted out land ownership claims. In the centuries after the British astronomers and surveyors completed their work, the line became associated with symbolism as a political and cultural border between the North and South. 

During prohibition, the location of the line between Pennsylvania and Maryland came up again. This time, it involved whether the still was above or below the line.

Dixon lectures on the line’s history, teaches courses on it, and consults with heritage groups working on exhibits about this important survey.

Here’s Scott Lamar, Mason-Dixon interview on the Spark on WITF, Harrisburg Public Media

Historian Discusses Mason-Dixon Line in Media Interview

milestone one Mason-Dixon line chester county
While doing the Mason-Dixon Line interview, they stood next to this English Portland Stone Marker on the Chester County Line. It is milestone 1 (Photo: Kyle Dixon)

During a recent Harrisburg Public Media interview, historian Mike Dixon joined Scott LaMar of WITF to explore the complex history of the Mason-Dixon Line. Standing beside milestone 1, a stone maker placed in 1765 by the surveyors, the discussion centered on the colonial divide between Maryland and Pennsylvania over territory.  This dispute ended in the 1760s when the colonial proprietors hired Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon to establish a permanent boundary line.

The conversation then shifted to discussing how the Mason-Dixon Line took on meanings beyond its intended purpose, a geographic boundary that sorted out land ownership claims. In the centuries after the British astronomers and surveyors completed their work, the line became associated with symbolism as a political and cultural border between the North and South 

As a historian specializing in community studies and social history, Dixon has curated exhibits, conducted research, published articles, and delivered numerous lectures on the Mason-Dixon Line and its complex history.

With his popular midday show. The Spark on WTIF, LaMar interviews experts, community leaders, and authors on contemporary and historical topics of public interest to central Pennsylvania.

The Mason-Dixon Line is still a significant historical marker today. It is a reminder of the United States’ complex history and the divisions that have shaped the country.

The Mason-Dixon Line Endures Through Time and History

I recently had the opportunity to serve as the guest curator for an exhibit on the Mason-Dixon Line, which opened at Frederick Heritage on May 3, 2018.  “A Boundary Through Time” focused on exploring the many meanings of the Pennsylvania-Maryland State Line.

Working with the in-house curatorial team,  I helped create the exhibit by contributing essays for the catalog, providing research support, and generally serving as the humanities scholar for the project.  I also did a member’s talk at the opening reception and another for the public opening a few days later.

I enjoyed exploring the evolving nature of the western line, this old border between Pennsylvania and Maryland, in search of narratives about the varied meanings through time while visually documenting the 21st-century nature of the boundary and the landscape along the border.

Mason-Dixon Line Washington and Franklin counties
On the border between Washington and Franklin counties, evening arrives on the Mason-Dixon Line
Mason-Dixon Line Williamsport Pike
On the Mason Dixon Line at the Williamsport Pike as evening arrives.