Lesson 4: Westward Movement Flashcards
(30 cards)
Clermont Definition
The Clermont was the first steamboat introduced on the Hudson River in 1807 by Robert Fulton and Robert Livingston. On its first run, the Clermont carried passengers from New York City to Albany and back.
Corduroy Roads Definition
Corduroy roads were roads made of logs.
Erie Canal Definition
The Erie canal was an artificial waterway that would let western farmers ship their goods to the port of New York.
Flatboats Definition
A flatboat is a rectangular, flat-bottomed boat with square ends used to transport freight and passengers on inland waterways. The flatboat could be any size, but essentially it is a large, sturdy tub with a hull that displaces water so that it floats in the water.
Lancaster Turnpike Definition
It was first used in 1795 and is the first long-distance, paved road built in the United States.
National Road Definition
The National Road was the first major-improved highway in the United States built by the federal government.
Turnpike Definition
A turnpike is a high-speed highway maintained by tolls.
How did settlers in New England, New York, and Pennsylvania reach the West through New York?
Settlers took a number of routes west. People from important regions and places like New England, New York, and Pennsylvania pushed into a region northwest of the Ohio River called the Northwest Territory. Some traveled west from Albany, New York, along the Mohawk River, through the Appalachians, and then west along the plains south of Lake Ontario. Many then sailed across Lake Erie into Ohio.
How did Settlers get to the West through the Great Valley Road?
Another well-traveled path was the Great Valley Road that ran southward from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, through Maryland and western Virginia. Some settlers would then continue south and west along the trail opened by Daniel Boone before the Revolution. Known as the Wilderness Road, it led through the Cumberland Gap into Kentucky.
How did Settlers travel West using flatboats?
Other settlers pushed west across the Appalachians to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. There, they loaded their animals and wagons onto flatboats, or flat-bottomed boats, and journeyed down the Ohio River into Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, and Illinois. Flatboats were well suited to the shallow waters of the Ohio, which became known as the “Gateway to the West.” Even when carrying heavy cargoes, these barges rode high in the water.
How did pioneers from South Carolina and Georgia move West?
Pioneers from Georgia and South Carolina followed other trails west to Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana. Enslaved African Americans were forced to move with settlers or sold to new owners in these territories. There, enslaved workers cleared fields and built plantations in the rich, fertile soil.
Due to westward movement, which states were eligible for statehood?
Before long, some western territories had populations large enough to apply for statehood. Between 1792 and 1819, eight states joined the Union: Kentucky (1792), Tennessee (1796), Ohio (1803), Louisiana (1812), Indiana (1816), Mississippi (1817), Illinois (1818), and Alabama (1819).
How did bad roads influence settlers’ journeys West?
Settlers faced difficult journeys as they traveled to the West. Many roads were narrow dirt trails, barely wide enough for a single wagon. Trails often plunged through muddy swamps. Tree stumps stuck up in the road and often broke the wagon axles of careless travelers. The nation badly needed better roads.
Why did companies that made roads toll users? What was the turnpike road? How did it get its name?
In the United States, as in Europe, private companies built gravel and stone roads. To pay for these roads, the companies collected tolls from travelers. At various points along the road, a pike, or pole, blocked the road. After a wagon driver had paid a toll, the pike keeper turned the pole aside to let the wagon pass. As a result, these toll roads were called turnpikes.
What was the Lancaster Turnpike?
Probably the best road in the United States was the Lancaster Turnpike. Built in the 1790s by a private company, the road linked Philadelphia and Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Because the road was set on a bed of gravel, water drained off quickly. For a smooth ride, the road was topped with flat stones.
What were Corduroy Roads? Where were they used?
Other roads were more primitive. In swampy areas, roads were made of logs. These roads were known as corduroy roads because the lines of logs looked like corduroy cloth. Corduroy roads kept wagons from sinking into the mud, but they made for a very noisy and bumpy ride.
What was the National Road?
Some states set aside money to improve roads or build new ones. Meanwhile, in 1806, Congress approved funds for the first national road-building project. The National Road was to run from Cumberland, Maryland, to Wheeling, on the Ohio River in western Virginia.
Work on the National Road began in 1811. Because of the War of 1812, it was not completed until 1818. Later, the road was extended into Illinois. As each new section of road was built, settlers eagerly used it to drive their wagons farther and farther west.
Where did many pike keepers sleep?
Many pike keepers lived by the gate they tended and could be awakened in the middle of the night by travelers seeking to pay the toll and pass through.
What were problems with boats during the Westward movement?
Whenever possible, travelers and freight haulers used river transportation. Floating downstream on a flatboat was both faster and more comfortable than bumping along rutted roads. It also cost a lot less. Yet, river travel had its own problems. Moving upstream was difficult. People used paddles or long poles to push boats against the current. Sometimes, they hauled boats along the shore with ropes. Both methods were extremely slow. A boat could travel downstream from Pittsburgh to New Orleans in about six weeks. However, the return trip upstream took at least 17 weeks.
What was the process of developing and establishing steamboat transportation? What was the Clermont?
Americans worked hard to develop new kinds of boats that would make river travel faster and cheaper. A new invention, the steam engine, started a new era in river travel. In 1787, John Fitch showed members of the Constitutional Convention how a steam engine could power a boat. He then opened a ferry service on the Delaware River. However, few people used the ferry, and Fitch eventually went out of business. Inventor Robert Fulton may have seen Fitch’s steamboat while in Philadelphia. In 1807, Fulton launched his own steamboat, the Clermont, on the Hudson River. On its first run, the Clermont carried passengers from New York City to Albany and back. The 300-mile trip took just 62 hours—a record at the time.
What was Robert Fulton’s influence? What was the Influence of Steamboats?
Fulton’s success ushered in the age of steamboats. Soon, steamboats were ferrying passengers up and down the Atlantic coast. More important, steamboats revolutionized travel in the West. Besides carrying people, river steamboats gave farmers and merchants a cheap means of moving goods.
When did steamboats become more powerful?
Steamboats became more powerful when their engines were used to turn paddle wheels. These wheels allowed larger boats to be built that could carry more passengers and cargo.
Why did Henry Shreve develop the flat boat?
Because western rivers were too shallow for larger boats, Henry Shreve designed a flat-bottomed steamboat. It could carry heavy loads without getting stuck on sandbars.
What were the dangers of steamboat travel?
Still, steamboat travel could be dangerous. Sparks from smokestacks could cause fires. High-pressure boilers sometimes exploded as steamboat captains raced each other in an effort to get to their destination first. Between 1811 and 1851, 44 steamboats collided, 166 burned, and more than 200 exploded.
