How were the state line boundaries originally decided?

Question

Who figured out just how the state boundary lines would be drawn? How were the original maps drawn?

Answer 1

It varied by states, usually Congress was involved in determining the boundaries of a territory, then when it became a state there were often modifications. In the case of Missouri and Iowa, there was nearly a skirmish over a 9 1/2 mile wide strip of land that ran all the way across their shared boundary, but the Supreme Court made the decision in favor of Iowa just before there was bloodshed (Militias from both states were camped at the border, ready to fight). Do some research on "The Honey War" for more information on that one, it might even be a good place to start an investigation into the madness and the method behind how state boundaries are determined.

Answer 2

most of the time they would trace a natural feature, such as a river or mountain chain, but in other area's they are just arbitrary lines drawn on the map.