1. Moving West Foundations of America Mr. Blais

2. Why Move West? Land: Most of the west was unsettled and there were millions of acres of cheap land New Economic Opportunities: With new land came new prospects, new ways to make a living, and the lure of a fresh start

3. Getting From Here to There Getting from the east coast to the western frontier was not an easy prospect for most Americans. The two major means of travel were by boat (on rivers) or by covered wagons. New roads and canals were built to help make the journey a bit quicker and easier

4. Major Roads Wilderness Road: – Stretched from Richmond, VA to Nashville, TN and Lexington, KY National Road: – Stretched from Washington D.C. to Illinois in the west Turnpikes: – Built by private companies across northern lands – Roads were blocked with pikes (spiked poles) and would be moved to let people pass after they paid the toll

5. Major Canals Canals were built across northern lands to connect the natural waterways Canals reached inland from the coast to places such as Pittsburgh Other canals (such as the Erie Canal) connected the Hudson River to the great lakes This allowed for open sea travel from NYC to Indiana

6. Steam Power In 1807 the first major American steamboat was launched These boats allowed for quick, reliable travel both up and down rivers They could also carry heavier loads and maneuver better than simple sailing vessels