Early Population & Movement
: How many Americans lived in the U.S. in 1790?
4 million
Who explored the Warrior Path?
Daniel Boone
Why did the nation need good roads?
To ship cargo and travel
Why was river travel better than road travel?
It was smoother and more comfortable
What are horses (or mules)?
Before steamboats were allowed, teams of these animals pulled barges along the canal.
Where did most people live in early America?
Narrow strips of land between the mountains and the Atlantic Ocean
In what year did Daniel Boone explore the Warrior Path?
1769
What kind of roads did private companies build?
Turnpikes (toll roads)
What direction did most eastern rivers flow?
North–south
What are locks?
These canal structures worked like an escalator, raising and lowering boats up and down hills
What mountains did settlers cross when moving west?
Appalachian Mountains
What mountains did the Warrior Path go through?
Appalachian Mountains
What did people have to do to use turnpikes?
Pay money
Why was traveling upstream difficult?
It was slow and difficult
Who were the Irish?
Thousands of immigrants from this country helped build the Erie Canal, often facing dangerous working conditions.
How many people traveled west?
300,000–400,000
How long did Boone explore the Warrior Path?
2 years
Who had a military road built in 1754?
George Washington
What invention made river travel faster and cheaper?
Steamboats
What are steam tugboats (or steamboats)?
In the 1840s, strengthened canal banks allowed this new technology to pull barges instead of animals.
How far did settlers travel each day and for how long?
15–20 miles a day for about 5 months
How many people traveled the Warrior Path between 1775 and 1790?
100,000 people
When did Congress approve funds for national roads, and when did they open?
Approved in 1806, opened in 1818
In what year did regular steamboat service begin on the Mississippi River?
1812
Who was DeWitt Clinton?
This New York governor celebrated the canal’s opening in 1825 by pouring Lake Erie water into the Atlantic Ocean.