Public Land Survey System (PLSS)

This course covers the Public Land Survey System (“PLSS”), also known as the U.S. Rectangular Land Survey, the Congressional Survey, the Federal Rectangular Survey, the Rectangular Survey, and the Government Survey. The purpose of this course is to provide a basic understanding of the history of the borders of the State of Mississippi, the origins of the Public Land Survey System, how our state’s border history and the Public Land Survey System influences our modern day maps, and how to read, write and locate using the Public Land Survey System.

After completing this course, you should be able to:

• Understand the history of borders of the State of Mississippi
• Understand the history of the Public Land Survey System
• Define the components of the Public Land Survey System
• Identify and locate a parcel of land using this system