Americans Move West

Traveling West

Western Routes◦Great Wagon Road◦Ohio River◦Trails through AL, MS, and LA◦Mohawk River to the Northwest Territory

Traveling West

Great Wagon Road◦Early Pioneer trail across the Appalachians

through Pennsylvania

Traveling West

Flatboats◦Flat bottom boats ◦Used to carry livestock and wagons◦Journeyed down the Ohio River into Indiana,

Kentucky and Illinois◦Well suited for shallow water◦Carried heavy cargoes and rode high on the

waters.

Traveling West

New States◦Kentucky 1792◦Tennessee 1796◦Ohio 1803◦Louisiana 1812◦Indiana 1816◦Mississippi 1817◦Illinois 1818◦Alabama 1819

Improvements to Roads

Turnpikes◦Private road built by companies◦Made of gravel and stone◦Collected a toll or fee from travelers◦Various points a pole or pike blocked the road◦Once the toll was paid, pike keeper would turn

the poll aside and let the wagon pass.

Improvements to Roads

Lancaster Turnpike◦Built in the 1790s◦Private road that linked Lancaster, PA and

Philadelphia, PA◦Made of layered gravel, very smooth road

Improvements to Roads

Corduroy Roads◦Built in swampy areas, roads made of logs◦Kept wagons from sinking into the mud◦Very noisy and bumpy ride

Improvements to Roads

The National Road◦In 1806, Congress approved funds for road

building projects.◦Route: Cumberland, MD to Wheeling in western

Virginia.◦Started on the road in 1811, did not complete

until 1818.◦Later extended to Illinois.

Steam Transportation

John Fitch◦1787: Fitch showed members of the

Constitutional Convention how a steam engine could power a boat.

◦Opened a ferry service on the Delaware River

Steam Transportation

Robert Fulton◦1807 launched the Clermont on the Hudson

River◦First run: carried passengers from NYC to

Albany and back.◦300 mile journey: 62 hours ( about 2 ½ days)◦Record time

Steam Transportation

Steamboats◦Started ferrying passengers up and down the

Atlantic Coast.◦Revolutionized the west◦Carried people and goods on the MS, OH, and

MO Rivers◦Henry Shreve designed a flat bottom steam

boat◦Dangers: Sparks from smoke stacks caused

fires and boiler sometimes exploded

The Canal Boom

Erie Canal◦Canal linking the Great Lakes with the Mohawk

and Hudson Rivers.◦Allowed western farmers to ship goods to the

port of New York◦Promote business◦Promoted by DeWitt Clinton in 1817

The Canal Boom

Successes◦Completed in 8 years◦Cost of shipping dropped to about a tenth of

what it had been before the canal.◦New York City becomes a city of commerce◦The Erie Canal led other states to build canals◦Vital economic links between western farms

and eastern cities.