HIST 190 Lecture Notes - Lecture 15: United States Territorial Acquisitions, Jacksonian Democracy, Plough
Document Summary
The colonial infrastructure had largely remained intact throughout the revolution and early of the republic. Roads were barely more than functional paths or cleared routes. Navigation by water still relied on sailing or currents (downstream) Transporting goods 30 miles on a road cost the same as shipping from england. In 1800, to ship from cincinnati to new york took 50 days via the mississippi to new orleans then by sea to new york. Because of british mercantilism, the surviving infrastructure in the early republic was well developed and beneficial for the spead of commerce. The us had long been interconnected with european trade networks. Westward expansion also meant isolation from trade. Some early settlers in the west had minor connections with trade but mostly mainly were economically self reliant (subsistence farming and hunting) The focus of inventors was geared to enhancing the technological infrastructure to improve economic endeavors and facilitate access to markets.
