Surveying the British Empire

As young men, George Washington and the future George III both studied geometry, draftsmanship, and surveying.

Washington worked as a land surveyor between the ages of seventeen and twenty. He measured and mapped land for settlers on Virginia’s frontier, work that helped expand British territory in North America.

George III was a competent draftsman and included a surveyor’s compass in his collection of scientific instruments. He shared Washington’s interest in surveying, if not its practical application.