Museum Visit Essay - online Visit

Museum Visit Essay - Online Visit

Exhibit: America on the Move

The Smithsonian- The Natural Museum of American History Online

This exhibit shows the transformation of the transportation throughout American history. From the use of the rivers, to the making of the railroads, to the making of the cars we see today.

As the nation was expanding, during the nineteenth century, transportation systems spread throughout the nation. Transportation links also helped create a set of district local and regional economies, since the traveling was much easier. Rivers, roads, steamboats, canals, and railroads all helped spread the settlement away from the coast and helped link different regions of America together.

Roads were man-made to help make transportation easier. In the early part of the nineteenth century the roads were terrible and really only used for local needs. Americans who travelled long distances typically used wagon trails to do most of their transportation. One wagon trail that was important with American Society and helped with a lot of the travel Americans did was the Oregon Trail. Even though most travelers used this as their means of transportation, there were still some major roads that helped make transportation easier, such as the National Road. The National Road, initially funded by the federal government, stretched from Cumberland, Maryland, to Columbus, Ohio, by 1833.

There was also some information about the steamboat that was created. The steamboat was first tested on the Hudson River in 1807. Short after that steamboats were introduced and used on most navigable rivers. Steamboats helped history more than roads did during this time period. The steamboats allowed commerce and travel throughout the nation. They encouraged trade by lowering costs and saving time. By 1830, steamboats dominated American river transportation.

Canals