The Mason-Dixon Line
One theory for the origination of the name of Dixie to refer to the Confederate states is that it came from the Mason-Dixon line.
Historically, the Mason-Dixon line was the boundary between Maryland and Pennsylvania, first surveyed in 1763 to 1767 by two British astronomers, Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon, in order to settle a dispute between the Calvert and Penn families, the owners of the two states in question at that time.
From 1820 onward the name Mason-Dixon line came to mean the boundary between free and slave states, and included not only the original line but also the Ohio River from where it crosses the Pennsylvania border to where it flows into the Mississippi, the eastern, northern and western borders of Missouri, and the 36 degrees 30 minutes parallel westward from there.
The Maryland Question
I'm grateful to Amy Mayer who brought this point to my attention.
State and Region Names
Places & useful connections
Before you set out
Confirm current access, opening arrangements, reservations and the suitability of your planned roads and walks. Photographs may show earlier conditions.