1. The first census of the United States was taken in 1790, then the population of America was around 4 million people, and most of these individuals lived East of the Appalachian Mountains.

2. In 1820, thirty years after the first census the population more than doubled, to approximately 10 million people, and more than 2 million of these individuals lived West of the Appalachians.
                                    

3. Traveling West
It took nearly 3 weeks and 363 miles to travel from New York City to Buffalo
Everything that pioneers owned would be packed in a wagon.

4. Roads and Turnpikes
Private companies built turnpikes, or toll roads – the fees travelers paid to use these roads helped to pay for construction
Ohio joined the union in 1803, they needed a route that connected them to the east coast.
Congress approved funds to build a National Road, it stretched from Cumberland, Maryland to Vandalia, Illinois.

7. River Travel
River travel was far more comfortable than traveling over bumpy roads
Traveling rivers had only two problems
Most major rivers flowed in an North-South direction.
Two traveling up stream by barge against the current was extremely difficult and slow

8. River Travel
Steam engines were already being built in the 1780’s and 1790’s, but these boats did not have the power to withstand strong currents and winds
In 1802 Robert Fulton was hired to develop a steamboat that could carry passengers and cargo up the Hudson River to New York

9. The Clermont By 1807 the Clermont was ready for trial
The boat could go from Albany to New York in 32 hours, normally this trip would have taken 4 days.
The Clermont offered great comfort and speed.
Shipping goods became cheaper and faster
Steamboats also contributed to the growth of River cities like Cincinnati and St. Louis

12. Canals
DeWitt Clinton came up with a plan to link New York City with the Great Lakes – they would build a canal – Connecting Albany on the Hudson River with Buffalo on Lake Erie.
Thousands of laborers many of them Irish built the 363-mile Erie Canal.

13. The Erie Canal
The Erie Canal opened on October 26, 1825, the East and Midwest was now joined.
The Canal consisted of a series of locks that raised and lowered boats at places where canal levels changed.
At first steamboats were not allowed, instead teams of mules or horses hauled boats and barges.

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15. The Erie Canal
A two horse team could pull a 100-ton barge about 24 miles a day
In the 1840s the canal banks were reinforced to accommodate steam tugboats
By the 1850s the United States had more than 3,600 miles of canal
Canals lowered the cost of shipping and united the growing country

16. Western Settlement Americans moved westward in waves
The first wave, between , led to the admission of four states – Vermont, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Ohio
The second wave, between ,led to the admission of – Indiana, Illinois, Mississippi, Alabama and Missouri

17. Western Settlement
Pioneer families tended to settle in communities along the great rivers, such as the Ohio and Mississippi
With the expansion of canals, families began to live farther away from the rivers
People also tended to settle with others from their home community, for example Indiana was primarily settled by pioneers from Kentucky and Tennessee

18. Western Settlement
Western families often gathered together for social events like wrestling, quilting and sewing parties, and corn husking
Life in the West did not include the conveniences of Eastern town life
The population in the West continued to grow in the years to come

19. The Era of Good Feeling
The war of 1812 helped forge a sense of national unity, this led to little political division in the United States.
In the 1816 presidential election, James Monroe, faced little opposition.
As political differences began to fade away the Boston newspaper called these years the Era of Good Feeling.

20. James Monroe
Monroe wore breeches and powdered wigs – a style no longer in fashion
Early in his presidency he toured the nation, which no president had done since George Washington
In 1820 Monroe won reelection, winning all but one electoral vote