Nationalism and Further Growth

Chapter: Nine

Pages: 140-147

Vocabulary

Canal: A waterway dug across a stretch of land.

Communication: The passing along of information, the exchange of messages.

Destined: Bound to happen. Expansion: Growth outward. Immigrants: People who came into a

country not of their birth in order to settle there.

Vocabulary

Parallel: One of the imaginary lines around the Earth that runs in the same direction as the equator.

Territory: The land ruled by a nation. A territory does not have the full rights of a state.

Transportation: The moving of goods and people from one place to another.

Mid-1800’s

The mid-1800’s were exciting times. During this time Americans were: Heading west to find new land New communications were changing.

New Roads

As transportation improved the West grew quickly. The National Road.

Also known as the Cumberland Road.

The National Road stretched almost from the Mississippi to Columbia, Maryland to Vandalia, Illinois.

Stagecoaches and covered wagons delivered mail and newspapers.

New Roads

Western farmers used the road to transport: Sheep Cattle

The New Canals

The farmers couldn’t transport crops because they feared they would rot on the long journey from East to West.

The farmers couldn’t use the rivers because they flowed from North to South.

To fix this problem they were forced to build canals.

The Erie Canal was the longest and best known canal.

The New Canals

The Erie canal was used to transport crops from city to city.

Still, canals were not the perfect means of transportation.

Canals couldn’t: Go through mountains. Canals filled with ice in the winter. Boats could only go about 5 miles per

hour.

The Railroad

Peter Cooper invented the first steam-powered train.

Using horse power, steam, boilers, and rails the first engine was up an running.

After many failures America’s transportation problem was solved and moved towards the railroad.

The Telegraph Changed Communication The War of 1812 was called the war of poor

communication. Mail traveled by horseback, by boat, and later,

by rail. This was still a slow way of transportation.

Samuel Mores invented the telegraph. Morse code was sent through these telegraphs

to communicate miles away using wire. On May 24, 1844, Morse tapped out the first

message and it was a success.

The Pony Express

The Pony Express was used to carry mail across the states.

This was a dangerous job for these young riders. They faced: Storms Indians Bandits Fast runs.

The Pony express ended in 1861 because of the telegraph.

Review

Name the two bodies of water linked by the Erie Canal.

What was the “Iron Horse”? Name three ways the railways were

better than roads and canals. What did Samuel Morse invent? How did

this change communications?