From: Rosemary D'Angelo
Date: 3/16/00
Time: 7:04:03 AM
Remote Name: 216.67.68.98
Rosemary D’Angelo What was the transportation revolution and why was it important to freedom intake early in nineteenth century? Transportation in America was a major issue during the early nineteenth century. Anyone, who cared to go westward, over mountains, had to spend months just traveling. At this time, the revolution in transportation came about. Americans needed a cheap and rapid way to travel to their desired destinations. This began the construction of roads and steamboats. A national road between Cumberland, Maryland, on the Wheeling, Virginia, on the Ohio was the first transportation project built. It was intended to reach Vandalia, Illinois. The Lancaster Turnpike, connecting Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, was another project built to better westward travels. Other turnpikes were also built, which were “privately owned toll roads chartered by the state.” These turnpikes, however, had there down falls. They were unable to provide travelers with a low cost of transportation over long distances. These lead to the expansion of flatboats, a means to travel by water. Unfortunately, this also had its problems. It was a one way system. One could travel from Ohio or Illinois to New Orleans with no problems, but to get back was a problem. They could not get back without traveling over land through rough country. Finally, the river steamboat came about. A trip from Pittsburgh to New Orleans; was made by the first steamboat, the New Orleans. Steamboats were a great benefit for farmers and merchants. “It reduced cost, increased the speed of moving goods and people, and allowed a two-way commerce on the Mississippi and Ohio.” Even with the steamboats advantages, “it did not provide an economical way to ship western farm produce directly east to ports engaged in transatlantic trade or to the growing urban market of the seaboard states.” This began the building of canals, throughout the entire United States. The Erie Canal was successful, and inspiring to other states. The benefits were, the reduction in the cost of moving goods from Buffalo to Albany enormously, the reduction in the price of goods imported from the East by Westerners, and it contributed to New York City becoming the commercial capital of the nation.