United States Transportation Network Quiz

Between 1800 and 1850, what did the United States build?

• The largest army in the world

• The most advanced transportation network in the world

• The biggest trade empire

• The most extensive communication system

What was one of the geographic challenges faced by Americans moving west and south in the early 1800s?

• Lack of water sources

• Distance

• Mountainous terrain

• Extreme weather conditions

What did travelers call stagecoaches because they shook so much on the rough roads?

• Bumpy carriages

• Shake guts

• Rattle boxes

• Jolt wagons

What geographic challenge did the Appalachian Mountains pose?

• They were too high to build any roads over.

• They separated the United States from Canada.

• They formed a physical barrier between the interior regions of the United States and eastern ports.

• They were home to dangerous wildlife that made travel unsafe.

Which of the following cities was NOT mentioned as a thriving eastern port connected by the transportation network?

• Miami

• New York City

• Boston

• Charleston

What was the name given to the road built by the federal government in 1811 to improve transportation?

• The Erie Canal

• The National Road

• The Baltimore & Ohio Railroad

• The Cumberland Path

What was the main purpose of the National Road?

• To move mail, goods, and settlers between the East and growing states of the Northwest Territory

• To connect the southern plantations directly to the northern factories

• To serve as a trade route exclusively for gold and silver

• To provide a scenic route for travelers and tourists

In what year was the Baltimore & Ohio (B&O) Railroad founded?

• 1811

• 1826

• 1850

• 1860

What was the primary cargo transported by the B&O Railroad from the mines of western Virginia and Pennsylvania?

• Cotton

• Coal

• Oysters

• Furniture

By 1860, how many miles of railroad track did the United States have?

• 3,500 miles

• 13,500 miles

• 30,500 miles

• 50,500 miles