State Historical Society of Iowa

U.S. Supreme Court Report by Surveyors about the Iowa, Missouri Border, December 17, 1850

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Courtesy of State Historical Society of Iowa, 17 December 1850

Description 

This report to the U.S. Supreme Court was submitted by surveyors who had been commissioned to re-survey the southern border of Iowa after Missouri and Iowa sued each other. The surveyors particularly point out the difficulty of confirming the line surveyed in 1816 by John Sullivan.

Full Transcript of U.S. Supreme Court Report by Surveyors about the Iowa, Missouri Border

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Source-Dependent Questions

  • According to this report, what caused problems for the surveyors when they tried to determine a previous surveyor’s line?
  • How did the surveyors try to prevent future confusion with the line they were marking?