Existing comment:
An American Meridian
Thomas Jefferson Believed the surveyor's of the nation's capital city should set a new American Meridian, a north-south line running through both poles and the American continent.
This reference line, longitude 0° 0°, would aid navigation, mapmaking, and the development of property boundaries, all key to settling the capital and new western territories. But most of all, Jefferson wanted to reinforce America's Independence from Britain, where the Prime Meridian was established to serve the Royal Navy's global navigation. Today, while there are many meridian lines running through many continents, the internationally recognized Prime Meridian passes through Greenwich, England, not Washington D.C.
For more Information go to: www.nps.gov/mehi |