On This Day
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Boundary between Maryland and Pennsylvania, the Mason–Dixon line, is agreed upon

The Mason–Dixon line, sometimes referred to as Mason and Dixon's Line, is a demarcation line separating four U.S. states: Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware and West Virginia.

The Mason–Dixon line, sometimes referred to as Mason and Dixon's Line, is a demarcation line separating four U.S. states: Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware and West Virginia. It was surveyed between 1763 and 1767 by English surveyors and astronomers Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon as part of the resolution to Cresap's War, a border conflict involving Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Delaware (then a part of Pennsylvania) in colonial America.

The largest portion of the Mason–Dixon line, along the southern Pennsylvanian border, later became informally known as the boundary between the Southern slave states and Northern free states.

Historical Significance

The Mason–Dixon line, sometimes referred to as Mason and Dixon's Line, is a demarcation line separating four U.

Events Before

  1. Future Prime Minister William Cavendish-Bentinck (28) weds Dorothy Cavendish (16)

    Future Prime Minister William Cavendish-Bentinck (28) weds Dorothy Cavendish (16)

  2. Stamp Act declared unconstitutional in Virginia

    Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains.

  3. Dutch governor Falck and King Keerthisiri Rajasinghe of Kandy sign Treaty of Batticaloa

    Dutch governor Falck and King Keerthisiri Rajasinghe of Kandy sign Treaty of Batticaloa

  4. Antonio de Ulloa takes possession of Louisiana Territory from the French

    Antonio de Ulloa takes possession of Louisiana Territory from the French

  5. Willem V (18) becomes governor of United Provinces

    Willem V (18) becomes governor of United Provinces

Events After

  1. John Hancock refuses to allow two British customs agents to go below deck of his ship, considered by some to be the firs

    John Hancock refuses to allow two British customs agents to go below deck of his ship, considered by some to be the first act of physical resistance to British authority in the colonies

  2. Captain James Cook departs from Plymouth, England, bound for the Pacific Ocean on his first voyage aboard the Endeavour

    Captain James Cook departs from Plymouth, England, bound for the Pacific Ocean on his first voyage aboard the Endeavour

  3. Philip Astley stages the world's first modern circus in London

    Philip Astley (8 January 1742 – 20 October 1814) was an English equestrian, circus owner, and inventor, regarded as being the "father of the modern circus".

  4. First mustard manufactured in America is advertised in Philadelphia

    First mustard manufactured in America is advertised in Philadelphia

  5. 1st American chartered fire insurance company opens in Pennsylvania

    1st American chartered fire insurance company opens in Pennsylvania

More from the 1760s

Afghans defeat the Indian Maratha Empire in the Battle of Barari Ghat

Afghans defeat the Indian Maratha Empire in the Battle of Barari Ghat

Third Battle of Panipat: In one of the largest battles of the 18th century, the mostly Muslim Afghan Durrani Empire defe

Third Battle of Panipat: In one of the largest battles of the 18th century, the mostly Muslim Afghan Durrani Empire defeats the mostly Hindu Maratha Empire in northern India. An estimated 60,000 to 70,000 people are killed in the fighting, and about 40,000 Maratha prisoners are massacred afterward.

Treaty of Paris ends the French-Indian War, France agrees to surrender Canada to Great Britain

The Treaty of Paris, also known as the Treaty of 1763, was signed on 10 February 1763 by the kingdoms of Great Britain, France and Spain, with Portugal in agreement, following Great Britain and…

Austria, Prussia and Saxony sign the Treaty of Hubertusburg, marking the end of the French and Indian War and of the Sev

Austria, Prussia and Saxony sign the Treaty of Hubertusburg, marking the end of the French and Indian War and of the Seven Years' War

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on October 18, 1767?
The Mason–Dixon line, sometimes referred to as Mason and Dixon's Line, is a demarcation line separating four U.S. states: Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware and West Virginia. It was surveyed between 1763 and 1767 by English surveyors and astronomers Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon as part of the resolution to Cresap's War, a border conflict involving Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Delaware (then a part of Pennsylvania) in colonial America.
Why is Boundary between Maryland and Pennsylvania, the Mason–Dixon line, is agreed upon significant?
The Mason–Dixon line, sometimes referred to as Mason and Dixon's Line, is a demarcation line separating four U.

Explore More

October 18 in HistoryYear 1767