Mason & Dixon Line

I would say that the Mason and Dixon line was a important in the history of America and yet I do not see it mentioned to any extent in any of the muzzle loading forums that I frequent regularly.
Feltwad

No, you don't hear much about it.
I used to hunt on a farm that the M/D marker went thru the front yard.
When I went to college south, they joking said I was a Yankee - I replied I was 10 miles south of the M/D line, just closer to the action. All was in good fun..
Don't let the media portrait division as it's really not an issue..

52Bore said:

No, you don't hear much about it.
I used to hunt on a farm that the M/D marker went thru the front yard.
When I went to college south, they joking said I was a Yankee - I replied I was 10 miles south of the M/D line, just closer to the action. All was in good fun..
Don't let the media portrait division as it's really not an issue..

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It seems it is not a issue but I only asked because I thought it was a part of American heritage .Was it not taught in schools ?
Feltwad

I would bet that most students, both high school and college would give you a blank look if you ask them to explain the M/D line. :idunno:

Jimbo47 said:

I would bet that most students, both high school and college would give you a blank look if you ask them to explain the M/D line. :idunno:

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I think that is sad Heritage should not be left too die :shocked2:
Feltwad

For those who didn't get a explanation about the Mason-Dixon Line in their schooling and want to learn more about it, follow this link:
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/mason-and-dixon-draw-a-line

Even when I was in school it was just breezed over and I imagined it as a whole long border across the south.
By the time my step daughter was in high school there was one paragraph about independence and the AWI. We had declared our independence over a tax dispute and Britain granted freedom in 1783.
However we shouldn’t get too smug. We largely concentrate on 1607-cr1650 founding of our colonies then jump to the F&I. Then the Revolution then jump again to MM or Texas revolution. Jump again to the WTBS then the ”˜Old West’ 1870s.

I had a woman from Virginia get rather irate with me when she overheard me speaking to another person and I mentioned the Mason/Dixon Line was the Northern border of Maryland where it meets Pennsylvania. She swore up an down the Mason Dixon Line was the Potomac River, and the border between Virginia and Maryland. She got even more irate when I pointed out that a river doesn't give you a very straight "line". She was adamant to the point of being insulting and shouting, and I ended the conversation with terse comments including the words "stuck on stupid"..., and I think I threw in the phrase, "knuckle draggin', booger eatin' moron" at some point in my final comments. :wink:

LD

Hi Feltwad,

I grew up in Iowa. Back then American History was still a required subject in High School for one semester. (They stopped requiring that some time ago, though.)

Looking back, we were taught a fairly neutral look at the Mason/Dixon line and the UnCivil War, though from the Northern perspective.

However, at the same time here in Virginia and other Southron States, they were teaching the UnCivil War in greater detail and of course from the Southron Viewpoint.

This leads me to a story from my American History Class.

It was not required, but for extra credit, we could do a 20 minute talk on anything in American History. So I decided to do mine on the UnCivil War and on what a "generic battle" would entail and I did it from a SOUTHRON viewpoint. This because my ancestor had fought for the South and moved to Iowa after the War.

OK, so before school day officially began; I hauled into the classroom an original musket, our family sword, the huge scale drawing I had made of a 12 lb Napoleon gun, some other large drawings and books. Took me two trips from the car as I got help on the second trip.

My History Teacher was so impressed, he asked me if I would give my presentation to all three American History Classes that day. I said I would be glad to, but had to be excused from Band and a couple other classes. Imagine the History Teacher and I going up to the Band Director and asking to miss Band Practice that day, along with the teachers from the other classes? They all agreed.

I had not timed my presentation down to the minute, but I knew I had more than enough material for 20 minutes. As it turned out, the Teacher said to use as much time as I wanted. I was surprised my presentation took most of the period and the question/answer period took the rest of the period. After the first presentation, he congratulated me and thought of more questions for the Q/A part of the last two presentations.

I got so much extra credit from that single day, it elevated my grade from a B Plus to a straight A for the entire semester. Considering how it took me only a couple weekends to do it all, that was very nice for the grade point average.

Gus

I have no doubt that is true.

I also think if you made the statement in the presence of many students under the age of 20 that Bill Clinton freed the slaves by winning World War Two, a disappointing number of them would accept it as being true.

:rotf:

smoothshooter said:

:rotf:

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With very little known about the Mason -Dixon Line in the States I would say less is known about the Englishmen Mason and Dixon.
Feltwad