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Westward Expansion: Roads, Steamboats, and Canals

Explore the early roads, steamboats, and canals that played a crucial role in Americans' westward expansion, facilitating transportation and trade. Discover the Great Wagon Road, Wilderness Road, Flatboats, Turnpikes, and the revolutionary Erie Canal.

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Westward Expansion: Roads, Steamboats, and Canals

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  1. Section 2 – Americans Move Westward Traveling West • Great Wagon Road – an early road to western PA • Wilderness Road – an early road through the Cumberland Gap to KY • Flatboats used on shallow waters of the OH River • New states: KY-1792, TN-1796, OH-1803, LA-1812, IN-1816, MS-1817, IL- 1818, AL- 1819

  2. Improving Road Transportation • Turnpikes –Lancaster Tpke. • Corduroy Roads –swampy regions • National Road – MD to VA ; later out west to IL—Congress uses tax $ to pay for this

  3. New Steamboats and Canals http://viewpure.com/vNTd5mgIzR4?start=0&end=0

  4. New Steamboats and Canals • River travel is difficult going upstream • John Fitch in 1797 introduces the first steam powered ferry; it goes out of business • Robert Fulton launches his own steamboat, the Cleremont, in 1807;it’s a success • Fulton’s success starts the Age of Steamboats, revolutionizing travel in the West; passengers as well as goods are transported. • Canals are built to help western farmers get their goods directly to markets in the East.

  5. New Steamboats and Canals (cont’d) • Erie Canal, built between 1817 and 1825 (373 mi) links Hudson and Mohawk rivers in NY w/ Lake Erie • Western farmers can now ship their goods to eastern markets • Erie Canal reduces travel time & cost and leads to other states building canals; NYC=center of commerce • It cost $1 /ton to ship goods on the Erie Canal and $10/ton by land • It took 32 days to travel from NYC to Lake Erie before the canal was built, but only 7days via the canal http://viewpure.com/oMz7eCj732w?start=0&end=0

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