Description

Informationen zum Autor Edwin Danson is a geodetic surveyor with over 45 years of experience working on assignments in many countries, including the United States. He is a Chartered Surveyor of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and a Fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineering Surveyors. He has made many contributions to professional journals and books and is a prominent authority in his field. He lives near Bristol, England. Klappentext Now more accessible than ever, the second edition of Drawing the Line: How Mason and Dixon Surveyed the Most Famous Border in America features a wealth of revisions based on recently-discovered documents and new archival research about one of the most famous pairs of surveyors in history - who performed one of the greatest scientific achievements of their time.This edition of Drawing the Line includes new information on the starting point of English surveyors Charles Mason's and Jeremiah Dixon's famous line; the actual location of their observatory in Embreeville, Pennsylvania; and the surveyors' sea voyages to the Americas and South Africa - journeys which had an enormous impact on their future work. Author Edwin Danson also puts forward a new, original theory on why colonial America's mile length was longer than the mile measurement of other geographical regions - a measurement difference that has baffled scientists.In addition to updated research, the second edition features new illustrations of the complex surveying and astronomical methods used by Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon, in a special appendix that explores their surveying methods in detail. Comprehensive, detailed, and full of adventure, Drawing the Line explores the full partnership of two English surveyors who battled against seemingly insurmountable odds to create a border line that endures to the present day, and has become an enduring cultural symbol of the United States. Zusammenfassung The second edition of Drawing the Line: How Mason and Dixon Surveyed the Most Famous Border in America updates Edwin Danson's definitive history of the creation of the Mason - Dixon Line to reflect new research and archival documents that have come to light in recent years.* Features numerous updates and revisions reflecting new information that has come to light on surveyors Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon* Reveals the true origin of the survey's starting point and the actual location of the surveyors' observatory in Embreeville* Offers expanded information on Mason and Dixon's transit of Venus adventures, which would be an important influence on their future work, and on Mason's final years pursuing a share of the fabulous Longitude prize, and his death in Philadelphia* Includes a new, more comprehensive appendix describing the surveying methods utilized to establish the Mason-Dixon Line Inhaltsverzeichnis List of Figures ixAcknowledgments for the Revised Edition xiiIntroduction to the Revised Edition xiii1 In the Reign of George the Third 12 The Fortieth Degree 63 Kings and Queens 144 Entirely at a Stand 205 Curious Knowing People 346 The Transit of Venus 517 Mr. Bird's Contrivances 658 Persons Intirely Accomplished 719 The Southernmost Point of the City 8010 15 Statute Miles, Horizontal 9811 The Tail of Ursae Minoris 10912 Fine Sport for the Boys 11613 From the Post mark'd West 12314 The Pencil of Time 13115 King of the Tuscarawa 14016 From Hence; to the Summit 15017 At a Council of the Royal Society 16018 Vibration of the Pendulum 16719 Not One Step Further 17620 A Degree of Latitude 18921 The Last Transit 19622 A Very Helpless Condition 20223 Finishing the Job 216Appendix 225Astronomy 225Longitude, Latitude, and the Shape of Earth 228Surveying Methods 230Degrees of Latitude: A Short History 239The Mystery of the Mason-Dixon Mile 242Bibliography 245Index 251...

Auteur
Edwin Danson is a geodetic surveyor with over 45 years of experience working on assignments in many countries, including the United States. He is a Chartered Surveyor of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and a Fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineering Surveyors. He has made many contributions to professional journals and books and is a prominent authority in his field. He lives near Bristol, England.

Texte du rabat
Now more accessible than ever, the second edition of Drawing the Line: How Mason and Dixon Surveyed the Most Famous Border in America features a wealth of revisions based on recently-discovered documents and new archival research about one of the most famous pairs of surveyors in history - who performed one of the greatest scientific achievements of their time. This edition of Drawing the Line includes new information on the starting point of English surveyors Charles Mason's and Jeremiah Dixon's famous line; the actual location of their observatory in Embreeville, Pennsylvania; and the surveyors' sea voyages to the Americas and South Africa - journeys which had an enormous impact on their future work. Author Edwin Danson also puts forward a new, original theory on why colonial America's mile length was longer than the mile measurement of other geographical regions - a measurement difference that has baffled scientists. In addition to updated research, the second edition features new illustrations of the complex surveying and astronomical methods used by Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon, in a special appendix that explores their surveying methods in detail. Comprehensive, detailed, and full of adventure, Drawing the Line explores the full partnership of two English surveyors who battled against seemingly insurmountable odds to create a border line that endures to the present day, and has become an enduring cultural symbol of the United States.

Résumé
The second edition of Drawing the Line: How Mason and Dixon Surveyed the Most Famous Border in America updates Edwin Danson's definitive history of the creation of the Mason - Dixon Line to reflect new research and archival documents that have come to light in recent years. * Features numerous updates and revisions reflecting new information that has come to light on surveyors Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon * Reveals the true origin of the survey's starting point and the actual location of the surveyors' observatory in Embreeville * Offers expanded information on Mason and Dixon's transit of Venus adventures, which would be an important influence on their future work, and on Mason's final years pursuing a share of the fabulous Longitude prize, and his death in Philadelphia * Includes a new, more comprehensive appendix describing the surveying methods utilized to establish the Mason-Dixon Line

Contenu
List of Figures ix Acknowledgments for the Revised Edition xii Introduction to the Revised Edition xiii 1 In the Reign of George the Third 1 2 The Fortieth Degree 6 3 Kings and Queens 14 4 Entirely at a Stand 20 5 Curious Knowing People 34 6 The Transit of Venus 51 7 Mr. Bird's Contrivances 65 8 Persons Intirely Accomplished 71 9 The Southernmost Point of the City 80 10 15 Statute Miles, Horizontal 98 11 The Tail of Ursae Minoris 109 12 Fine Sport for the Boys 116 13 From the Post mark'd West 123 14 The Pencil of Time 131 15 King of the Tuscarawa 140 16 From Hence; to the Summit 150 17 At a Council of the Royal Society 160 18 Vibration of the Pendulum 167 19 Not One Step Further 176 20 A Degree of Latitude 189 21 The Last Transit 196 22 A Very Helpless Condition 202 23 Finishing the Job 216 Appendix 225 Astronomy 225 Longitude, Latitude, and the Shape of Earth 228 Surveying Methods 230 Degrees of Latitude: A Short History 239 The Mystery of the Mason-Dixon Mile 242 Bibliography 245 Index 251

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