Thomas Jefferson, Surveyor and then some
A blog by Emily Pierce, PLS, CFedS
Did you know that Thomas Jefferson was not only a surveyor, but he was actually instrumental in the design of the United States itself? The story of Jefferson’s career is the story of nation-building, with surveying at its foundation.
The Family business
Surveying was a family business for Thomas Jefferson. Both he and his father Peter Jefferson were land surveyors for the King of England – before the American Revolution.
In the 1700s, surveyors were in great demand, as the westward expansion of settlers required defined property lines. In those days, the system of metes and bounds was used, which relied on measuring distances between geographic features such as rocks, trees and so on. Surveying was a physically demanding profession that required skill, precision and determination – much as it does today.
Although Thomas Jefferson didn’t continue to survey as a profession (as his father did), the skills he acquired as a surveyor were a solid foundation for his subsequent success.
The Public Land Survey System
As president, Jefferson knew he had to direct, manage and generate revenue from the western expansion of settlers. To do this, he created the Public Land Survey System (PLSS), a method of dividing land into rectangular areas established with meridians and base lines. If you look at a map of the US, many of the states are rectangular, especially those west of the original colonies, due to the underlying grid based on the PLSS.
After the Revolutionary War, PLSS was used as a way to sell parcels of the land included in Jefferson’s Louisiana Purchase (827,000 square miles of land purchased from France in 1803). Selling these parcels helped the young United States pay off the debt incurred in war of independence. It also shaped the history of the western migration of settlers to the western United States.
Original Louisiana
From Arrowsmith & Lewis New and Elegant General Atlas, 1804.
Westward focus
Jefferson used the presidency to fulfill his personal vision – to explore the west and find a direct trade route to Asia. He was definitely forward-thinking – when he took office in 1801, most of the US immigrant-based population lived within 50 miles of the Atlantic Ocean.
Jefferson ordered a number of expeditions to explore the west, including notable treks by Zebulon Pike. However, Jefferson is most famous for securing funding from Congress for the Lewis & Clark expedition. Jefferson chose his former secretary as the leader of the expedition, Meriwether Lewis.
Inscription on Pompey’s Pillar, named for Sacagawea’s 18-month old son.
Lewis had been a captain in the US army under the command of William Clark. This shared background was key in helping to make the expedition a success. Jefferson knew that shared experience was only one of the many resources required, so he sent Lewis to Philadelphia to study with the leading scientists, map makers and surveyors of the day. On October 14, 1803, Lewis met up with Clark in Clarksville, Indiana Territory and the expedition began. For nearly four years, the expedition continued, finally concluding in September 1807, back in St. Louis
Today, the only original artifact that remains of this historic trek is Clark’s inscription on an outcropping on the Yellowstone River named “Pompey’s Pillar” after Sacagawea’s 18-month old son.
Fortunately, despite the lack of artifacts, this epic expedition has been commemorated in many ways.
The National Park Service has created the Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail that is approximately 4,900 miles long.
Back in 2003, on the bicentennial of the expedition, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Geodetic Survey began installing a series of Berntsen commemorative markers along the route that Lewis and Clark traveled. The photo shows the marker being placed in Louisville, TN.
Berntsen Louis & Clark commemorative brass medallions are replicas of the monuments placed during the bicentennial celebration.
Berntsen Lewis & Clark markers
Berntsen was proud to provide the markers for the Lewis & Clark trail. We offer Louis & Clark commemorative markers (as well as many others) at berntsen.com. We can also create custom markers, engraved brass plaques - even using your own photography. Just give us a call at 800.518.0934.