America’s Waterways

Mississippi River Missouri River Ohio River Columbia River Atlantic Ocean America’s Waterways Colorado River Rio Grande River St. Lawrence River Gulf of Mexico Pacific Ocean

Why are waterways important to United States history? Settlement Transportation Trade

River Descriptions The Columbia River was explored by Lewis and Clark. The Colorado River was explored by the Spanish. The Mississippi and Missouri Rivers were the transportation arteries for the farm and industrial products. They are also links to ports and other parts of the world.

Additional Rivers The Ohio River was the “gateway to the west”. The St. Lawrence River forms part of the northeastern border with Canada and connects the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean. The Rio Grande forms the border with Mexico.

Great Lakes Inland port cities grew in the Midwest along the Great Lakes.

The Pacific Ocean was an early exploration destination. The Gulf of Mexico provided the French and Spanish exploration routes to Mexico and parts of America. The Atlantic Ocean served as the highway for explorers, early settlers, and later immigrants.

The location of the United States, with its Atlantic and Pacific coasts, provide access to other areas of the world.