Which land division system was created by the Land Ordinance of 1785 to survey land in a square or grid-like pattern in the Midwest?

• A. Township and Range System
• B. Metes and Bounds System
• C. Long-lot Survey System
• D. Bid-Rent Theory

Answer: (A)

A grid-based method of dividing land is being tested here—the rectangular survey system established by the Land Ordinance of 1785. This system set up six-mile-square townships that are subdivided into 36 one-mile-square sections, all laid out in a precise grid using principal meridians and baselines. That uniform, square pattern made it easy to describe, sell, and settle lands across the Midwest, which is why you see the characteristic township-and-range layout there.

In contrast, other methods reflect different ideas: metes and bounds uses informal, irregular parcels defined by physical landmarks; long-lot surveys divide land into long, narrow strips along rivers; and bid-rent theory explains how land value shifts with distance to markets rather than how land is surveyed.