The Role Of Transportation In America

Over a long period of time in the past 200 years, transportation has impacted the lives of the people in America. As the trasportation quickly escolated, and began to take a big role in the every day life of the people, people began to see the difference that it was begging to make and would make for the years to come. During the time when people were migrating to Oregon, California, and the Mormon Trail, people simply had old wagons to cart around the people and all of their belongings. Obviously, they weren't powered by and engine because they were being hauled by oxen, horses, or ponies. This wasn't always the most efficient way to get around and travel because a lot of the times, the animals would become lame or stumble, or die. Also the wheels or the axels on the wagon would break and then the travelers would be that much farther behind schedule.

So, Congress got together and decided that they needed to authoritize the making of the National Road, starting in Maryland, and going all the way into Illinois. However, this was never really officialized so it just became a thing and wasn't a huge production. So the people were just like 'oh...thanks.' But in August of 1807, an inventor and engineer by the name of Robert fulton "made history with his steamboat, the North River Steam Boat (often called the Clarmont), when he traveled along the Hudson River from New York City to Albany. The boat was propelled by a steam engine that turned paddle wheels in the water.(11)" It was turning ou to be the transpotation of the century! Well, at that time. Pretty soon, the American waterways became full of steamboats. It was a much, much easier and cheaper way of tranportation. People even built man-made canals to make the travel by water a more convinient traveling system.