Chapter 8: The Northeast-Building Industry Section Two - A System of Transportation California State Standards - 8.6, 8.6.2

Looking Back, Looking Ahead In the last section, you learned how the Industrial Revolution changed the American economy. In this section, you will learn how changes in transportation helped the nation expand.

Focusing on the Main Ideas Transportation routes such as roads improved as settlers moved west, and steamboats greatly improved the transport of goods along rivers. Business and government officials came up with a plan to build a canal to link the eastern and western parts of the country. Americans continued to move westward, settling near rivers so they could ship their crops to market.

People and Places to Know Hudson River Albany Lake Erie Erie Canal Robert Fulton

Did You Know? The first American turnpike to be built and run by a private company was the Lancaster Turnpike (1792). The word turnpike comes from the Middle English of the 1500s. A turnpike was a revolving frame bearing spikes and serving as a barrier.Turnpikes today use toll booths as barriers.

What Was the American System? In the 1820s Congressman Henry Clay of Kentucky prepared a plan called the American System, which included building canals and roads to link together the different regions of the country.

What Were the Discoveries of the First Census? The first census—the official count of a population—in 1790 revealed that almost four million people lived in the United States, and most lived east of the Appalachians. This changed as more people began moving west.

How Did Roads Get Built? The nation needed good inland roads. Private companies built many turnpikes, or toll roads, which travelers paid fees to use. Congress approved a National Road to the West in 1806.

What Was River Travel Like? River travel was easier than travel by horse and wagon, But it could not provide adequate east-west travel and was very slow when traveling upstream.

Who Was Robert Fulton? In 1807, Robert Fulton developed a steamboat with a powerful engine. It was built to carry cargo and passengers up the Hudson River from New York City to Albany.

Discussion Question Describe a typical turnpike built by a private company. Many of the roads had a base of crushed stone. In muddy areas, logs were laid side by side in a “corduroy road.”

How Did We Use Canals? New York business and government officials came up with a plan to link New York City with the Great Lakes region. They would build a canal—an artificial waterway—across New York State, linking Albany on the Hudson River to Buffalo on Lake Erie.

What Was the Erie Canal? Thousands of laborers, many of them Irish immigrants, worked on the Erie Canal. Along the canal, workers built a series of locks—separate compartments where water levels were raised or lowered. The Erie Canal opened in 1825 after two years of construction.

What Caused the Canal Boom? Steamboats were not allowed on the canal in the early years, so barges were pulled by two-horse teams. The success of the canal led to a boom in canal building. By 1850, the United States had more than 3,600 miles of canals.

Discussion Question How did canals benefit the economy? Canals saved time because goods could be shipped faster. This lowered the cost of shipping goods. Canals also created opportunities for new businesses to supply food, shelter, and other necessities to workers and travelers. Towns along the canals prospered.

What States Were Formed Because of Western Migration? Western migration led to the admission of new states to the union. Between 1791 and 1803, four new states (Vermont, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Ohio) were admitted to the United States. Between 1816 and 1821, five more (Indiana, Illinois, Mississippi, Alabama, and Missouri) were admitted.

What Was Pioneer Life Like? Pioneer families settled along great rivers, so that they could ship their crops to market. Pioneers gathered for social events. Men took part in sports, and women met for quilting and sewing parties. Both men and women participated in cornhusking. Congress established home delivery of letters in 1825, and in 1847 Congress created the first national postage stamps.

Discussion Question How did the canals affect the pioneer settlements? Canals allowed people to live farther from large rivers.

Section 2 Review pg 394 1. Describe the improvements in transportation during the westward expansion in the early 1800s. 2. What were the benefits of canals in the mid-1800s? 4. How did better transportation affect westward expansion?