Discovering Our Past: The American Journey to World War I

 #147;The National Road”

Introduction
In this chapter you learned more about one of the major themes in American history: westward expansion. American settlers were eager to explore the West, in spite of the difficulties they would encounter. Imagine what it would be like to travel by foot or with animals through deep mud after a rainstorm. Pioneers faced problems like these each day, and it is not hard to see how improvements in transportation technology quickened the pace of expansion efforts. The National Road was one such improvement. Visit The National Road to discover how the creation of a roughly paved road, easily passable by horse, wagon or coach, proved so important to life in the United States.

Destination Title: The National Road

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Directions
Begin at The National Road and select “Historic Timeline.”

• Read this timeline and then follow the “Historic Qualities” link at the bottom of the page to learn more about the National Road.

1			Why was the National Road almost obsolete by the mid-1800s?
2			In which town did construction for the National Road begin?
3			Which president authorized construction of the National Road?
4			What two Acts at the beginning of the 20th century provided funds for the National Road to be rebuilt?
5			Write an essay in which you discuss why the National Road is considered to be so important in United States history. Your essay may be brief, but it should cover the factors that contributed to a need for the road, how and by whom it was used, and how it became part of the national highway system.