Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1861-03-15
MASON AND DIXoNs LINE,

The parallel of lat.30S 49, 269 3'N., which
separates Pennsylvania from Maryland, was
drawn by Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dix
on, two distinguished English mathematicians
and astronomers. 1t forms the dividing line
between tae free and the slave States Of the
original confederation. This celebrated line
properly begins at the N. Z. corner of Mary
land, and runs due w. The years from 68l
TO l76S were marked with constant dissen-
sion aud conflict between the rival propri-
otaries of Pennsylvania and Maryland, and
their partsans, upon the subject Of their COM
mon boundary; and the vicinity of this line
was the theatre Of riot, invasion and blood
shed. The FIRST English colony was settled
under grant from King James l. in 1906,
which gave TO two incorporated companies | |
deg of latitude on the Atlantic, reaching
from lat. 81 deg. to As deg N, the whole
territory having the common name of Virgin
ia. The North Virginia or Plymouth compa-
ny possessed the N. the S. portion of the
territory was held by the London company.
Lat. 40 deg. n. separated these two colonies.
The northern was called New England by
Capt. John Smith in l6l4, while the southern
retained exclusively the name of Virginia.
In 1924 the influence of Gondemar, the
Spanish Minister, together with his own dis
like OF popular freedom, induced King James
to revoke the charter of both. The unsettled
wastes of their territories were now subject
anew to the royal grant. In 1929 George
Calvert, Lord Baltimore, besought tho King
for charter of lands in this region, but died
before it was perfected. His son and success
sor, Cecilius Calvert, subsequently obtained
from Charles |. June 20, 1922 grant which
he named Maryland, after the Queen Henri
eta Maria. 1t conveyed to him "all that
part of the peninsula or chersonese lying in
the parts Of America, between the ocean on
the east and the bay Of Chesapeake on the
west, divided from the residue thereof by
right line drawn from the promontory of head
land called Watkins point. situated upon the
bay aforesaid, aud near the river of Wighco
on the west, unto the ocean on the east and
between that boundary on the south, and that
part Of the bay of Delaware on the north
which lieth under the 4Oth degree of latitude,
where New England terminates. And all that
tract of land from the Aforesaid bay of Della
ware in a right line, by tho degree aforesaid,
to the true meridian OF the FIRST fountain of
the Potomac, aud from thence tending down
toward the south to the further bank of said
river, and following the w. and S. side of it,
NNss W NNA hNElhu RHhhl thla grant,
Lord Baltimore claimed tho whole peninsula
from the above mentioned right lac" as the
S. boundary. y. to lat 40 deg. But in the
preamble to his grant he was restricted to
lands haciepus iacaLta, hitherto unsettled"
and the Dutch had previously settled on the
w. shore OF the Delaware they therefore re-
sisted his claim to the whole peninsula. In
1864, Charles II. granted the Dutch posses
sions to his brother James, the Duke Of York,
who, after conquoring them, assumed the place
Of the Dutch in resisting Lord Baltimore.
II is proper here to romark, that the sole
geographical knowledge Of these regions at
that time was obtained from a map made by
the celebrated Capt. John Smith. On this
map the line Of 40 deg. was incorrectly plac-
ed as far south as the vicinity of the parallel
which is now the north boundary of Mary
land, In 1851 Charles II. granted to viii
liam Penn the territory Of Pennsylvania, as
follows -" All that tract or part OF land in
America, with tho islands therein contained,
as the same is bounded on the east by the
Delaware River, from ? miles northward Of
New Castletown unto the three and fortieth
degree n. latitude, if said river doth extend
so far northward, but il not, then by merid-
ian line from the head Of said river TO said
AID degree. The said land TO extend vest
ward deg in longitude, to be computed from
said eastern bounds And the said lands to