▁many ▁people ▁who ▁identify ▁as ▁Southern , ▁Maryland ▁is ▁not ▁considered ▁a ▁Southern ▁state , ▁leading ▁to ▁confusion ▁over ▁termin ology ▁( for ▁more ▁on ▁Maryland ' s ▁position ▁as ▁southern ▁or ▁northern , ▁see ▁the ▁Region ▁section ▁of ▁the ▁article ▁on ▁D ix ie ). ▁Origin ally ▁" M ason ▁and ▁D ixon ' s ▁Line " ▁referred ▁to ▁the ▁border ▁between ▁Pennsylvania ▁and ▁Maryland . ▁After ▁Pennsylvania ▁abol ished ▁sla very , ▁it ▁served ▁as ▁a ▁dem arc ation ▁line ▁for ▁the ▁leg ality ▁of ▁sla very . ▁That ▁dem arc ation ▁did ▁not ▁extend ▁beyond ▁Pennsylvania ▁because ▁Del aware , ▁then ▁a ▁slave ▁state , ▁extended ▁north ▁and ▁east ▁of ▁the ▁boundary . ▁Also ▁lying ▁north ▁and ▁east ▁of ▁the ▁boundary ▁was ▁New ▁Jersey , ▁where ▁sla very ▁was ▁formally ▁abol ished ▁in ▁ 1 8 4 6 , ▁but ▁former ▁slaves ▁continued ▁to ▁be ▁" app r entic ed " ▁to ▁their ▁master s ▁until ▁the ▁passage ▁of ▁the ▁Th ir teenth ▁Am end ment ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Constitution ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 5 . ▁ ▁The ▁Missouri ▁Comp rom ise ▁line ▁( Par allel ▁ 3 6 ° 3 0 ′ ▁north ) ▁had ▁a ▁much ▁clearer ▁ge ographic ▁connection ▁to ▁sla very ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁leading ▁up ▁to ▁the ▁Civil ▁War . ▁ ▁In ▁popular ▁culture ▁Popular ▁culture ▁contains ▁a ▁mult itude ▁of ▁references ▁to ▁the ▁Mason – D ixon ▁line ▁as ▁a ▁general ▁ge ographic ▁division , ▁or ▁character ▁names ▁ev oking ▁it