Traveling Across Time
As the United States was created with the writing of the Constitution, a bond was formed that connected each and every state. Now there was a need to create a physical connection within the states, attaching them to one another, and pushing the new founded country into the frontier. Means of transportation had nowhere to go but up, seeing that few people owned horses and most people, especially the poor, walked to their destinations. Wagon trails were also spanned across the continent, but were easily hindered by weather. All it took was some rain to turn the trails into mud pits or the opposite to turn them into a dust storm. This made traveling not only difficult, but very slow. It became clear that to establish the connection needed, transportation would have to be updated. The first major advance made in transportation came with the creation of turnpikes, or toll roads (Foner 321). This era lasted roughly 1800-1830 (History.org). Turnpikes were usually owned by individual companies who charged a monetary fee to travel on their private roads. Some turnpikes were built on a solid stone foundation with gravel spread on top; these were considered the best turnpikes, but most of the turnpikes were just loose …show more content…
Between inventions like the steamboats and the railways, America had finally created that firm physical connection. With transportation costs greatly reduced and travel made faster by a factor of 5 or more, these changes made America’s first “Industrial Revolution,” possible (History.org). The widespread development of commercial agriculture in the Midwest and a national system of markets and distribution of goods now insight for America, our newly founded country was only getting started. “Many ordinary Americans could now become travelers for pleasure and even the pathways of westward migration had become much faster and safer” (Historical Background of
As the United States was created with the writing of the Constitution, a bond was formed that connected each and every state. Now there was a need to create a physical connection within the states, attaching them to one another, and pushing the new founded country into the frontier. Means of transportation had nowhere to go but up, seeing that few people owned horses and most people, especially the poor, walked to their destinations. Wagon trails were also spanned across the continent, but were easily hindered by weather. All it took was some rain to turn the trails into mud pits or the opposite to turn them into a dust storm. This made traveling not only difficult, but very slow. It became clear that to establish the connection needed, transportation would have to be updated. The first major advance made in transportation came with the creation of turnpikes, or toll roads (Foner 321). This era lasted roughly 1800-1830 (History.org). Turnpikes were usually owned by individual companies who charged a monetary fee to travel on their private roads. Some turnpikes were built on a solid stone foundation with gravel spread on top; these were considered the best turnpikes, but most of the turnpikes were just loose …show more content…
Between inventions like the steamboats and the railways, America had finally created that firm physical connection. With transportation costs greatly reduced and travel made faster by a factor of 5 or more, these changes made America’s first “Industrial Revolution,” possible (History.org). The widespread development of commercial agriculture in the Midwest and a national system of markets and distribution of goods now insight for America, our newly founded country was only getting started. “Many ordinary Americans could now become travelers for pleasure and even the pathways of westward migration had become much faster and safer” (Historical Background of