Construction of the National Road
At a glance:
- Series: Great Events from History: North American Series
- Categories: Government and Politics, Technology, Inventions, Economics
- Subcategories: Engineering, Engineers, Transportation
- Curriculum: American Early National History (1789-1815)
- Geographical Location: Maryland, West Virginia
- Date: Beginning 1811
Article abstract: The first federally financed interstate transportation project begins to link the states.
Summary of Event
As the United States expanded westward into the Ohio Valley, transportation became increasingly difficult. Much of the commerce of the Eastern seaboard relied upon rivers for transportation, but no water routes existed that cut through the Appalachian Mountains to the Northwest Territories. Roads were needed both for economic reasons and for military security. Recognizing the need for internal improvements, Congress in 1806 passed...
[The entire page is 1418 words long]
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