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The national road or Cumberland Road was the first major improved road built by the US federal government. It was started in 1811. It began at Cumberland, MD. and ran to Vandalia, ILL, stopping short of its original destination of St.Louis,MO. It was approximately 620 miles long. US 40 now follows mostly the same route.

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10y ago

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The National road was important because it was the first highway to be built by the government. The road's construction began in 1811 and reached West Virginia in 1818. The road follows much of what is now US-40.

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10y ago
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Ohio - this was the state farthest west at the time and was hard to reach

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14y ago
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Cumberland Road, National Pike, The Old Pike, The Road by people who lived by it locally and Uncle Sam's Road. Currently today it is Route 40.

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15y ago
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benefits were that it made the country look much bigger

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10y ago
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Q: Why was the national road so important?
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