Early Roadbuilding and Planning
During the eighteenth century, travel was by horseback or in animal-drawn vehicles on
dirt roads. As the nation expanded westward, roads were built to accommodate the settlers.
In 1794, the first toll road, the Lancaster Turnpike, was built to connect the Pennsylvania
cities of Lancaster and Philadelphia.
The nineteenth century brought further expansion of U.S. territorial boundaries, and
the population increased from 3 million to 76 million. Transportation continued to expand
with the nation. In 1808, Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin, who served under President
Thomas Jefferson, recommended a national transportation plan. Although his plan
was not officially adopted, it did develop a strong case for investing in transportation by the
federal government and was the basis for construction projects such as the Erie Canal. The
remainder of the nineteenth century saw considerable activity, particularly in canal and
railroad building.